


You're Never Alone, Lena

by HEDA_OWNS_MY_SOUL



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015), supercorp - Fandom
Genre: Angsty Lena, Eventual Supercorp After These Two Knuckleheads Finally Realize They Love Each Other, F/F, Lena Deserves Props For Stopping Lillian and the Medusa Virus, Lena Luthor-centric, Lena is a Secret Badass, Lena is the Hero in this Fic, Post episode 2x08, Somebody Give Lena a Hug Already
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-29
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2018-09-13 03:56:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 89,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9105658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HEDA_OWNS_MY_SOUL/pseuds/HEDA_OWNS_MY_SOUL
Summary: Lena stopped Lillian and the Medusa virus, yet no-one...not Kara, not Supergirl, not even the DEO bothered to thank her. So when Kara finally shows up without an explanation as to why she was gone so long, Lena is understandably hurt and upset. Matters get more complicated when Kara accidentally outs herself to Lena as Supergirl. While Lena sorts through her angst and feelings for Kara, Supergirl is tasked with convincing Lena to attend the Mayor's bravery award ceremony. And that could prove to be difficult since Lena doesn't want to talk to Kara at the moment, leaving Kara confused and having to deal with her growing feelings for Lena as well. But with the threat of CADMUS surfacing again, Kara and Lena are going to have to work together. And a secret of Lena's just may be the thing that gets them all out alive...





	1. The Burdens of Being Your Own Hero

"What did you just say?" 

Lena's piercing green eyes shot up from the paperwork she'd been mulling over. She was being rude...barely acknowledging the fumbling blonde's haphazard attempts at an apology. Lena didn't care.She was angry and confused. But most of all, she was hurt. Not physically, mind you. No, her hurt ran a bit deeper. Kara had disappeared after Lena had brought down her own mother and saved aliens from certain death courtesy of the Medusa virus. Disappeared...as in couldn't be reached by phone, text, or email. Disappeared...after having the nerve to come to Lena under the pretenses of a puff piece on mother/daughter relationships. Kara had been pushing for info on Lena's mother. Lena knew it. But she ever so graciously indulged the reporter with sparse insight into the lack of relationship she had with Lillian Luthor. She hadn't done it out of pity. Lena Luthor didn't need anyone to feel sorry for her. She'd humored Kara by answering her questions because she really did see her as a friend...her only friend in National City. She had earned Kara's trust. And she knew trust didn't come easy when a Luthor was involved. She'd grown fond of their chats. She even found herself looking forward to spending time together.There was something about the perpetually sunny blonde who always nervously pushed up her glasses when she was flustered or embarrassed. Kara was unlike anyone she'd ever met before. And maybe that was what had drawn Lena to her from day one. But that didn't matter now. The hurt in Lena's heart was due to several things. And they all had to do with the beautiful blonde sitting in front of her. But she didn't have time for sorting those feelings out right now. Kara had just said something that had triggered her. 

"I..ummm...well I said th-that means we might occasionally have to take matters into our own hands?" Kara couldn't quite read Lena's face. But her eyes...her eyes cut right through her like a green Kryptonian lightsaber. 

"No." Lena sat up straight in her chair, not breaking her eye contact. "Before that." Kara was stumbling for words. She broke eye contact with Lena and looked over her shoulder...to the view of National City. "Kara Danvers. Look at me." Kara's eyes slowly made her way back to Lena's hardened glare. "Say it."

Kara's throat suddenly went dry the moment she realized what she'd said. She'd been so frantic trying to get Lena to understand why she hadn't been there for her after she'd taken down her mother. But she couldn't take it back. And now Lena was about to know... Kara swallowed harshly, trying to calm the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Sometimes we have to be our own hero." It came out as a bit of a whisper as Kara's eyes faltered and looked to the ground. Lena wasn't having it. 

"Look me in the eyes and say it...like you said it to me that night." Kara's eyes met Lena's yet again. This time they were a bit watery. But not Lena's. She was still as stoic as ever.

"Be your own hero." 

Lena's face was unreadable as she stood from her desk, turned her back on Kara, and looked out at the sun setting over the city. Then she closed her eyes as she brought her hands up to rub her temples trying to process everything. She took a moment to compose herself before turning back around to face...Supergirl. Kara was about to say something, but Lena cut her off with a quick motion of her hand.

"I was my own hero." Lena's voice was fierce, cutting Kara to the bone. "And I guess nobody knows that better than you, Supergirl." 

Kara flinched at the way Lena said it. It felt void and empty...hollow. 

"Lena, I..." But Lena cut her off. There were things that needed to be said. 

"I get that you had to keep tabs on me-"

"No, Lena, that's not-"

"I am a Luthor, after all."

"But you're so much more than that!" Kara stood, hoping her trembling legs would hold her long enough to make things right with Lena. 

"Am I? I saw the doubt in your eyes when I was about to turn that key. And before that...when you came here wanting to know my mother's whereabouts."

"I needed to be sure. The DEO was ready to come after you and your mother both." Kara looked away. She knew what she'd just admitted. She hadn't meant to. But there it was. 

Lena took a step closer to Kara, emerald eyes aglow with anger. 

"And there it is. The doubt. Because how could a Super ever trust a Luthor?"

"I did trust you, Lena. I-I still do."

Kara's voice wavered and Lena almost felt sorry for her...almost. Because the hurt still ran deep. And she wasn't finished yet. Lena walked back around to her desk. She placed her palms on the desk to support herself as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She kept her eyes closed as she exhaled, then opened them back up to find Kara looking back at her. She looked like a sad, blue-eyed puppy. And really Lena would have loved nothing more than to end the argument, go back around the desk, and melt into the embrace of her strong arms. But that wasn't how the night was going to play out. Lena needed Kara to know why she couldn't forgive her...at least not right now.

"This isn't about Supergirl."

"But I-" Lena waved off any further words with the flick of her wrist.

"This is about Kara Danvers. Someone who I considered to be my friend."

"I am your fr-"

"My only friend." Kara's shoulders slumped. Her face fell as she realized just how hurt Lena truly was. "You disappeared. I sent my mother to prison. I single-handedly made myself the last free Luthor. I watched as she was cuffed and taken away. And when all the questioning was over...when everyone finally left...there I was, standing alone."

"Lena, please let me-" Kara approached the desk, giving Lena a pleading look.

"Alone." Lena paused to compose herself. Now was not the time to be losing it in front of the one person she once thought she could tell anything to.

Kara took the opportunity to finally get in a complete sentence.

"You're never alone, Lena. I'm so sorry if you thought that...even for a second." 

Kara placed her hand atop Lena's on the desk. Lena allowed it for a moment, relishing the warmth of Kara's touch. Then she pulled her hand away. She couldn't allow the emotional wrecking ball that was Kara Danvers to crash through her walls again. Her heart just couldn't take it. And in that moment, Lena realized that Kara Danvers meant much more to her than she was willing to admit. Maybe she'd always known it. But it didn't matter now. Now she had to harden her heart back up. She had to accept that being a Luthor meant being alone. 

"But I was alone, Kara. You disappeared on me."

"And I-I can explain that. Now that you know...about me I-"

"I needed you." Lena's voice cracked ever so slightly. And Kara heard it. She stepped up against the desk to get closer to Lena.

"You have me." 

"It's too late."

"Don't say that. I'm here...I'm here now."

Kara slowly walked over to the other side of the desk. Lena couldn't look at her. The pain was bubbling over and just waiting to burst out in the form of the tears she was so desperately trying to hold back. If she knew anything about a Luthor...it was that they didn't cry in front of anyone. They didn't show their vulnerability.

"Lena, please look at me."

"I can't." It was a desperate whisper...full of the hurt in her heart. "You should go."

"No. I'm not leaving you. Not like this. Not until you let me fix it."

Lena turned her head towards Kara as she opened her eyes. The lack of emotion in what she spoke next made Kara's own heart wrench.

"Some things can't be fixed." Lena quickly went back into stoic, hard as nails CEO mode. "I trust you can see yourself out, Ms. Danvers?" She walked over to the balcony, turning her back on Kara.

The icy silence was more than Kara could handle. She quietly wiped away the tears that had fallen and headed for the door. But before she left, she turned around. 

"I won't give up on you, Lena Luthor. So don't you go giving up on me." 

Kara turned back and walked out the door. 

As soon as she knew Kara had gone, Lena broke down into sobs. She leaned against the glass doors of her balcony and let the tears flow. She cried for her brother Lex and for her mother Lillian. She cried for the curse the Luthor name brought. But mostly she cried for her lost friend. Because Kara Danvers had once again disappeared.


	2. The Complication of Flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara finds out that Lena won't be attending the bravery ceremony organized by the Mayor to recognize Supergirl, Hank, and Lena's role in taking down Lillian Luthor...
> 
> Kara and Alex have a chat...and Maggie gets in on the conversation too because...well SANVERS! <3 There's a bit of Lena at the end of the Chapter too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the awesome comments and kudos. You're all amazing! Hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Fix this." Alex Danvers held up a small envelope as Kara walked into the DEO lab. 

"Well hello to you too...seestra." Kara replied in a horrible Ukrainian accent as she snatched the envelope out of Alex's hand.

"You've been binge watching Orphan Black without me again, haven't you?"

"Well...someone has been too busy with a certain detective to come over and watch. Got tired of waiting." Kara studied the envelope, not noticing Alex's slight blush at the mention of that certain detective. 

"Whatever. Your Helena accent sucks." Alex replied with a slight annoyance in her voice. Kara playfully stuck out her tongue out at her sister before holding up the envelope.

"What is this?"

"J'onn's made that Supergirl's top priority." 

"Well it's addressed to him. What's it got to with Supergirl?" Kara's brows furrowed as she looked over the envelope once more. "This handwriting looks very familiar."

"My instructions were for you to open it. Read it. Fix it."

Alex went over to her lab table to look over some test results.

"Cryptic much? What exactly am I supposed to fix?"

"Read the letter, Kara." 

Alex looked into her microscope and jotted down notes as Kara opened the envelope.

"Oh crap." Kara murmured to herself.

Now she knew why the handwriting looked familiar. It was from Lena. She read it out loud while Alex worked on her lab samples...

"Dear Director Henshaw-

I regret to inform you that I will not be attending the Mayor's "Medal of Civilian Bravery" festivities in a week's time. Although I am very humbled by the sentiment, I'm afraid my LCorp duties require my immediate attention. And your personal visit at my office to thank me for helping take down the Medusa virus was more than enough. An award is not necessary. I was merely "being my own hero" by helping National City the best way I could. I'd expect anyone else would have done the same. 

With Kind Regards-  
Lena Luthor"

Kara folded the letter back up and placed it inside the envelope. She knew why Lena had refused to attend. It was because Supergirl would be at that ceremony too. She and J'onn were also going to receive a medal. Kara had tried to convince the Mayor that Lena was the true hero and deserved all of the credit. But the Mayor wouldn't hear of it. She wanted it to be a coming together of humans and aliens...for the greater good of the city. Neither Kara nor Supergirl had spoken to Lena since they'd talked that night in Lena's office. That was over a week ago. And it wasn't for lack of trying. Kara had attempted numerous times to reach out to Lena. She'd even sent the stubborn CEO a huge bouquet of white plumerias...her favorite. But the response was always the same...nothing...radio silence. Kara looked over at her sister, who was still busy with her work.

"Alex?" Kara walked over to Alex and sat down on a nearby stool.

"Yeah?" Alex jotted down a few notes before looking up at her sister. Kara's face was filled with sadness. "Hey...what's wrong" 

"I really messed up with Lena."

"What do you mean...messed up? Alex looked at her sister quizzically. "You two are friends, right?"

"Well see...that's the thing. We're not exactly friends anymore." 

"Who's not exactly friends anymore?" 

Maggie walked into the lab with a bag of takeout and her huge dimpled smile aimed at Alex. Alex felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she smiled back while Maggie walked up to her. Maggie gave her a kiss on the cheek. 

"Hey you." Maggie said through her smile.

Alex hoped her blushing cheeks weren't too obvious. 

"Hey back." Alex replied.

Kara cleared her throat to distract two swooning lovebirds, causing Alex looked over at her sister. 

"Ah...right. Lena. Kara said she's not friends with Lena Luthor anymore. Which I find a bit...odd."

Maggie sat down on a free stool beside Alex and started taking out the food.

"Odd? How so?" Maggie responded.

Kara peeked over Maggie's shoulder to take a look at what smelled so good. Alex swatted her away so she sat back down on the stool on the other side of her sister.

"You were always talking about her." Alex mused, looking at Kara.

This caught Maggie's attention and she turned around to face Kara too.

"What? No....no! I mean I probably mentioned her now and again because of an article I was writing for CatCo. So why wouldn't I talk about her?"

Kara was getting flustered. How had this conversation gotten so off track? Of course she'd talked about Lena. They were friends. It was perfectly normal to talk about your friends to your sister...wasn't it?

"Fine. Whatever. So then if you were such good friends, what happened?" Alex asked as she reached back a stole a few french fries from beside Maggie.

"Why are you two even talking about Lena Luthor to begin with? Fill a girl in." Maggie chuckled as she handed a cheeseburger to Alex.

"You know about the bravery ceremony the Mayor is holding next week, right?"

Maggie nodded as she chomped on her sandwich. Alex continued

"Well Lena has decided she's not going to go. And I'm pretty sure now it has something to do with Supergirl over here."

Alex and Maggie's eyes both fell accusingly onto Kara

"So what'd you do, lil' Danvers?"

Maggie was definitely not one to beat around the bush. 

"I...what? I didn't do anything...well...I mean I..." Kara let out a huge sigh and slumped on the stool.

"That bad, huh?"

Alex gave Maggie a playful elbow to her side. 

"What happened, Kara?"

Alex was getting a bit concerned seeing how this was affecting her sister. She was clearly hurting. 

"I...I didn't go see her after she took down Medusa. Not until later after I got back from-"

"An alternate Earth where you had to help fight off more alien threats? Not really a good excuse, if you ask me."

Maggie handed some fries to Alex. Kara looked at her sister with annoyance. 

"You told her?" 

"I was pissed off at you for leaving without telling anyone...especially your own damn sister."

"But you-"

"That's not the issue here." Alex interrupted and waved the french fry in her hand menacingly at Kara. "Why the hell would you have abandoned Lena then...of all times? You could have at least popped in as Supergirl and said something like...oh I don't know...thanks for saving my ass and every other alien species on the plant. Don't ya think?" 

"Tell me how you really feel." Kara rolled her eyes with another sigh.

"I just did."

"Alex-"

"Look, I'm not going to sugar coat it. Luthor put her neck on the line...for you. She put her mom in prison AND...she's pretty much put herself at risk for CADMUS' retaliation. You need to make this right."

"I've tried!" Kara jumped off the chair in exasperation and started pacing the lab. "She won't talk to me. I even sent her flowers and-"

"Hold up...you sent her flowers?" Maggie put down her food. This was getting good.

"Yeah. But it doesn't matter. She didn't respond to them."

Kara sounded dejected as Alex stood and went to go comfort her sister. Maggie stayed put had all her attention on Kara now instead of the food. 

"It sorta does matter there, Danvers junior. I mean...who sends flowers to someone who's just a friend. Hell...I've hardly ever sent flowers to actual girlfriends-" Maggie got a disapproving look from Alex. "Uh...but that's just me. I mean...I've been called a lot of things and romantic isn't one of them." 

"What detective insensitive over there is trying to say, Kara, is that flowers tend to mean...well...that you care?" Alex looked over at Maggie looking for backup but Maggie just shrugged.

"I do care. Why do you think I sent them in the first place? I miss her, Alex. It sucks.This all sucks!"

Alex wrapped her arms around Kara, giving her a supportive hug. 

"Just out of curiousity...what kind of flowers did you send her?" Maggie asked as she grabbed her cup of soda and sipped on the straw.

"White plumerias." Kara replied nonchalantly like it wasn't a big deal.

Maggie nearly choked on the soda. Kara broke away from Alex's hug and the sisters looked over at the detective. 

"What?" Alex asked with a raised eyebrow at Maggie as she recovered from nearly coughing up a bunch of soda.

"You can't get white plumerias in National City...or anywhere close by for that matter. Right, Kara?"

"And you're suddenly the flower expert?" Alex folded her arms across her chest. She was in protective sister mode now. 

"I said I'm not one to give them. Didn't say I didn't know anything about them." Alex wasn't buying it by the look in her eyes. "It's a long story for another day." Maggie hopped off the stool and walked over to the two sisters. "They're a rare flower...hard to find."

"They're her favorite. I thought maybe...maybe it would help." Kara lowered her head, unsure of what to say next. 

"Does she know how you feel about her?" Maggie asked with a sincere look.

Kara's head jerked up, eyes wide. Alex pretty much did the same thing. All eyes were on Maggie. 

"Wait...did I miss something here?" Alex said, breaking the awkward silence.

Kara composed herself. She didn't want Maggie or her sister to see how shaken she really was. Feelings for Lena? What? No way. That's not why she'd had this constant gnawing feeling in her stomach every since Lena kicked her out of her office. And it's definitely not the reason why she sent her the very rare flowers that she had flown far, far away to get. Lena was her friend. Friends did nice things for each other...especially if one was hurt by the other. And by golly...Kara couldn't stand it that Lena was hurt. So...yeah. She did care about Lena. But definitely not in the way Maggie was implying...

"Kara?" Alex put her hand on Kara's shoulder, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hmmmm?" Kara looked up to find Maggie and Alex both looking at her with concern.

"Is there something you wanna tell me?" Alex gently rubbed Kara's back. 

Kara smiled fondly at the gesture. Alex used to always rub her back like that when they were younger and Kara would have a bad day or be upset about something. Alex was her rock. She could tell her anything. But there was nothing to tell her right now. Because right now...Kara didn't even know what was going on. And that scared her. 

"No. Nope. Nothing to tell. I ah...I gotta go figure out how to get Lena to come to that award ceremony. Tell J'onn I'm on it!"

Kara rushed out the door in a blur.

"Okay...what did I just miss?" Alex let out a sigh as she walked over to Maggie who gave her a reassuring hug. 

******************************  
Meanwhile...at Lena's office...  
******************************

Lena walked into her office, kicked off her heels, and plopped down on the couch next to her desk. It had been a long day of meetings. She was exhausted, but it was worth it. LCorp was finally heading in the right direction...the direction she'd been wanting to take it from the start of taking it over. Things were looking up for the CEO. And that was a damn good feeling. She laid back on the couch and took in a big revitalizing breath. That's when she noticed the faint smell of white plumerias. Odd...she thought to herself. It's been some time since she'd had that type of flower in her office. She inhaled again then opened her eyes. She wasn't mistaken. The smell was very familiar to her. They were her favorite flowers after all. 

Lena sat up and looked over at her desk. How had she missed that when she'd come it just moments ago? She stood and walked over to the large bouquet arranged in a beautiful emerald green vase. She leaned in, taking in the sweet scent of the flowers. Her signature red lips broke out into a tiny grin. Then she noticed a small card sitting in with the flowers. She plucked the card out from the plumerias and flipped it open...

"I'm sorry. I miss you."

The card wasn't signed. But that didn't stop Lena's hand from slightly trembling. She knew whose handwriting it was. She'd seen it countless times when a certain reporter would jot down notes during an interview...

"Kara."

Lena whispered her name, not wanting to fully say aloud the name of the woman whose absence in her life made her heart hurt and the tears sting all the more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...Lena still needs a hug I think. ;)


	3. Something's Got a Hold on Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delayed update. This chapter is a little longer to hopefully make up for that!...
> 
> This chapter is all about Lena...  
> She spends time alone in her lab...thinking (or brooding maybe) and an old friend shows up to see her. Oh and...she finally gets a hug. Though not from Kara...yet. ;) I made up a character, Vanessa, so Lena could have someone to confide in. They have a history...but don't worry Supercorp peeps...it's strictly platonic now. Happy reading!

Lena Luthor was a morning person. Not the annoyingly perky type of morning person that everyone wants to strangle. And definitely not the type that stood in a long line for overpriced coffee and a stale muffin. Lena Luthor was a lot of things...and perky wasn't one of them. Not to mention she brewed her own coffee that she had imported directly from her favorite coffee plantation in Ethiopia. She didn't have many vices. But premium coffee and vintage scotch would definitely be at the top of the list. The scotch would have to wait though. It was far too early in the morning for that. Not to mention she'd helped herself to several (okay more than several) rounds of scotch last night last night while trying to make sense of the flowers Kara had sent her. The conclusion? More confusion and a few trips to the bathroom since she'd forgotten once again to have dinner after a late night of conference calls. Thankfully the second cup of coffee and a few aspirin had warded off any sort of hangover that would threaten to hinder the CEO's work schedule for the day. 

But back to that morning person thing. It wasn't that she enjoyed getting up before sunrise. It was mostly that she hardly slept much anyway. She found she could function better with little sleep though, so it worked out just fine for her. Why waste time lying in bed wishing you could get in a few more minutes of sleep when you could get up and be productive? That's why Lena found herself in her private basement laboratory at LCorp at 5am that morning. Mixing scotch with thoughts of Kara didn't make for a restful sleep...if she'd gotten any sleep at all. It was mornings like these when she found the best place of escape was in her lab. She didn't have to worry about disruptions of any kind. She could immerse herself in her work without having to think about a board meeting or an angry investor holding on line 3. Down here she could reconnect with her passion...her love for engineering and all things science. 

One of the things Lena loved most about her lab...aside from the fact that it was huge and outfitted with state of the art technology, was that down here she could be herself. She didn't have to put on the facade of a powerful CEO that had to live up to the Luthor name. Not that she minded that part of herself. She was proud of the work she'd done to turn around LCorp as a force for good. But being a woman and a CEO...it seemed like she had to work even harder to gain the respect of a woman who meant business. It was that facade that was so exhausting. She had a reputation to uphold. Yet she wasn't a cold and ruthless business woman at heart. She was a scientist first and foremost. Even then she'd had to prove herself among her male colleagues. So in a way, that had helped prepare her to step up and lead LCorp. Some days though...some days she wished she could just be down in her lab all day instead of up in her lonely, albeit fancy office. Sure the perks of being a CEO were great. But did people really see the real Lena Luthor? Or did they only see the facade of a powerful woman in a position to lead a company to greatness? And if they could see past that...most definitely they couldn't see past the Luthor last name. Well...except for maybe one person...

"Fuck." 

Lena sat down her coffee mug and rubbed her tired eyes. She'd managed to go all of maybe five minutes without letting thoughts of a certain blonde pop into her head. Even the dark depths of an LCorp laboratory (with a state of the art security system) couldn't keep Kara away...well the thoughts of her anyway. But then, Kara was also Supergirl too. Maybe infiltrating the thoughts of the unsuspecting CEO even when she didn't want to think about her was one of Supergirl's many powers? Lena chuckled out loud at that ridiculous notion. She shook her head and let out a sigh. 

"I miss you too, Kara." She said aloud to the empty laboratory. 

Lena let out another sigh as she reached into her desk drawer and grabbed a rubber band. She pulled her hair up into a hasty bun as she stood and walked over to the coat rack to grab her lab coat. Distracting herself with some good, old-fashioned research was the only way she was going to get her mind off of Kara...if only for a couple of hours. She slipped on her lab coat over her green button up blouse. She'd dressed down today. She usually did when she came in to work in the lab. Then she'd shower in the built-in bathroom she'd had installed there and change into her "CEO look" before heading up to her office to start her day. Today she'd opted for her favorite pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a casual button-up blouse that made her green eyes pop like sparkling emeralds, and her favorite (and very worn) pair of black low-top Converse sneakers. Yes...even Lena Luthor owned a pair of Converse. But no-one really knew that about her...or anything as simple yet personal for that matter. That was partially her fault though. Lena wasn't one to let people in. The times she'd tried had only ended up in heartache. Be it friendship or a relationship, people always seemed to have an agenda when one's last name was Luthor. And Kara ended up being no different than the rest of them. 

"Seriously?" Lena scolded herself for thinking about her again. Why'd Kara have to go and send her flowers?

She grabbed the remote to her quite impressive surround sound stereo system and turned it on. She flipped through a few of her playlist stations. Lena was pretty old-school when it came to her taste in music. She was definitely a classical music sort of woman. But jazz, blues, and classic R&B were also genres she enjoyed as well. Lex had always teased her about being an "old soul" because of musical preferences. What teenager listens to Billie Holiday. Etta James, and...Mozart, he'd ask every time she got to choose the music. Lena smiled slightly at one of the happier memories she had of her brother. She chose a playlist and hit play as she walked over to her lab table. It was time to lose herself in her work...but in an actually good and therapeutic way for her. Suddenly, Etta James' voice started singing to Lena that "Something's Got a Hold on Me." Lena chuckled to herself at the irony as she shook her head in disbelief. Of course that would be the first song on her random playlist to play. 

She did her best to ignore the irony as she buried herself in her work. She didn't care what Etta James said. Nothing had a hold of her...nothing that she was willing to admit to any time soon anyway.

*******************************************

 

Several hours had passed, and Lena was still caught up in her research. She hadn't even realized what time it was until her assistant Jess called her cell for like the 5th time. Lena finally glanced at her watch to see that it was almost 9:30. She groaned at the thought of having to head up to her office to take care of whatever CEO duties were in store for her today. She didn't have any meeting or appointments scheduled though, so she wasn't sure why Jess kept trying to get ahold of her. She sat back in her chair, kicked her feet up onto the desk and pulled her phone out from her lab coat pocket.

"Jess, unless it's an emergency, I'll be up a little later than usual."

"Sorry to bother you, Ms. Luthor, but there's someone here to see you."

"I don't have any appointments scheduled for today. Kindly ask them to make an appointment for when I'm available. Unless it's Kara Danvers. Then you can just tell her not to bother. I won't see her."

"Okay, but it's not Kara Danvers. It's a woman named Vanessa Keller. She says she's an old friend."

Lena paused, taking in what Jess had just told her. 

"Ms. Luthor?" 

"Yes...tell Ms. Keller that I'll be up shortly. You can show her into my office." 

Lena hung up and sat her phone on the nearby desk. She stood and walked over to the coat rack, taking off her lab coat in the process. She walked over to her desk, grabbed some mascara and lip gloss, and then headed over to the full length mirror. She pulled out the rubber band that had been holding her hair up in the haphazard bun. She raked her fingers through her raven locks, straightening it up the best she could. After applying a touch of mascara and lip gloss that tinted her lips an ever so slight shade of pink, she regarded herself in the mirror. Casual Lena would have to do today. There was no time to get fixed up. Not that she looked remotely bad, mind you. Lena could rock the casual look in a way that would make most women jealous. She did one last check in the mirror, grabbed her cell phone, and headed for the lab exit. 

***************************************************************

Lena entered the private elevator that went directly to her office floor. On the ride up, she found herself pondering over why Vanessa Keller would be here to see her. Vanessa was an old friend. That much was true. They'd known each other since boarding school. But perhaps calling her an "old friend" wasn't all together accurate. Vanessa had been Lena's first kiss. They'd even dated for a time in their teens. But it hadn't really worked out. They'd parted ways amicably and had remained friends. So many years later, they still checked in with each other through emails. Vanessa was now running Keller Enterprises...her family's company from their home offices in Switzerland. And LCorp did business with them. The Kellers and Luthors had been doing business for a long time. But there hadn't been any recent deals in the works between LCorp and Keller Enterprises. At least...nothing that would warrant a visit from their CEO. So why was Vanessa here? The elevator dinged and Lena stepped out, still contemplating over the surprise visit.

Jess was busy typing on her laptop when Lena approached. 

"Good morning, Jess." 

The secretary nearly jumped out of her chair. She could usually hear her boss coming in every morning. It wasn't like one could miss the imposing sound of her heels on the sleek hardwood floors. 

"Ms. Luthor! I-I didn't hear you come in." Jess looks over Lena's attire. "No heels today, huh?" She gave Lena an approving smile. 

"I'm all about casual today it seems." Lena gave Jess a small grin and headed for her office. "Jess, can you have some bagels and a fruit plate delivered from that French Bakery around the corner."

"Of course. I'll let you know when it arrives."

"Thank you." Lena disappeared into her office. 

***************************************************************

Lena entered her office and immediately spotted Vanessa sitting on the couch reading a copy of CatCo Magazine. Her ruby red heels had been discarded on the floor as she sat cross-legged, engrossed in the magazine. Lena was relieved to see her old friend was a bit dressed down herself aside from her signature heels that she usually wore with everything...even jeans. A small smile played across Lena's lips. It felt good to see a familiar face for once. 

"Vanessa." The attractive brunette lowered the magazine and gave Lena a warm smile. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I hope you haven't been too bored up here all alone. I have breakfast on the way if you plan on staying for a bit."

Vanessa didn't answer. She got up off the couch, not bothering to put her heels back on. She walked over to Lena and pulled her into a strong hug. Lena was a bit shocked at first. She couldn't remember the last time someone had hugged her. She quickly snapped out of her initial reaction of shock and allowed herself to sink into Vanessa's arms as she hugged her back. Vanessa rubbed her hands gently along Lena's back. It was the most comforting thing she'd felt in ages. Lena let out a small sigh and gave Vanessa one last squeeze before breaking the hug. 

"It's so good to see you." Vanessa held onto Lena's arms as she spoke. Her brown eyes were warm with affection. "How are you doing?"

How was she doing? The question sounded foreign to her. People didn't typically ask how Lena Luthor was doing. How was she doing? Her brother and her mother were in jail. She came from a family hell bent on destroying the entire alien population. Her only friend in National City just happened to also be Supergirl and had betrayed her trust. And she was conflicted as to what family and friends truly meant. And then there were the flowers...why had Kara send those damn flowers? How was she doing?

"I"m fine. Good. Well. I'm doing well." Lena composed herself as she quickly glanced over at the white plumerias sitting on her desk then looked back at Vanessa. 

"Wow. Fine, good, and well. That bad, huh." 

Lena grimaced slightly. She never had been good at hiding things from Vanessa. Even when they'd chat over email. Vanessa took Lena by the hand and led her over to the couch. They made themselves comfortable, but Lena's eyes wandered over to the white plumerias on her desk. 

"So." Vanessa started. Lena turned back to face Vanessa's inquisitive eyes. "Tell me everything." 

Lena wasn't sure she even knew where to begin...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know ya'll probably wanted a Supercorp hug, but it's not time for that yet...cause I say so. ;) But hey, at least she finally got a hug, right? :)


	4. Maybe There are Feelings...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Alex have a heart to heart...part 1

Kara spent the better part of the morning pacing around her living room. She was going nuts trying to figure out a solution to the Lena situation. Two dozen doughnuts and several pots of coffee later...and she still wasn't sure what to do about it. Yes, she had to find a way to convince Lena to come to the ceremony. But every since she'd discussed it with Alex and Maggie the other night, there was a nagging feeling that it was more than about Lena getting her bravery medal. Her mind was in overdrive. She kept going back to what Maggie had asked her...if Lena knew how Kara felt. What did that even mean? Well...she knew how Maggie had meant it. And that was just ridiculous. She didn't have those kind of feelings for Lena...

...and even if she did have those kinds of feelings for Lena...

"Wait...what?" Kara's pacing came to an abrupt halt. "No, that's not-I'm not-I mean Lena's not even-wait-is she?" Now she was more confused than ever. The pacing continued. 

Then Kara started thinking back to all the times she'd spent with Lena. Sure there were the routine stops to LCorp for whatever article she'd been working on for Snapper. She didn't even find herself minding whenever she'd had to go back for a few follow-up questions per his requests. And Lena had always been welcoming. Sometimes Kara's visits turned into lunch dates...wait, no...working lunches...yeah...definitely not dates. A date would mean actually go outside of LCorp which...okay, they'd done that a few times too. But that was only because Lena had wanted to get out of the office. Yeah...they were non-dates...

And the pacing still continued...

What about the times she'd showed up at LCorp without an excuse for a story? Like the time she brought a gargantuan amount potstickers over to Lena's office because she knew she'd been in meetings all morning and most likely would have skipped lunch while preparing for her 2pm conference call with overseas investors? Jess had told her that Lena wasn't to be disturbed. But after Kara had plopped the secretary's favorite noodle dish on her desk she gave in. And so Kara had gone into Lena's office unannounced...which would usually perturb the CEO. But as soon as she'd seen it was Kara and that she'd brought food...her look of annoyance had turned into that beautiful smile. That smile...it seemed to hypnotize Kara and make her lose all ability to not act like a blubbering idiot. It was a smile that was warm and welcoming. A smile that would make those brilliant green eyes light up. A smile that felt like it was only for Kara...

"No-no...this isn't...ugggggggh" Kara let out an exasperated sigh. She stopped pacing...for a second. Then the pacing commenced once again as she thought aloud. "It's Maggie's fault. It's simply the power of suggestion. Yeah! That's it! There's no-I'm not-that can't be why-it's definitely not...feelings." 

Kara's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. She used her X-ray vision to find Alex on the other side holding a bag of doughnuts and two cups of coffee. Kara marched over to the door to let her sister in.

"Your girlfriend needs to fix this. Now!" She grabbed by the arm and nearly dragged her inside. 

"Okay...hi? Good morning?" Alex sat the doughnuts and coffee down, reached in for a doughnut and took a bite before looking up to a freaking out Kara. "Doughnut?"

"Aleeeeeex!"

"Okay...alright." Alex finished up the rest of the doughnut and took a sip of coffee before giving Kara her full attention. "FIrst of all...what's going on? And second of all...what's Maggie got to do with it?"

"Ah ha! So you admit she is your girlfriend!" Kara gave her sister a satisfied smirk.

"That...okay that was sneaky and I hate you right now. So I'm just going to take these delicious doughnuts and see myself out." Alex reached for the bag of doughnuts but quickly had her hand smacked away.

"Well she is your girlfriend. Why don't you just say it already?" Kara peaked inside the doughnut bag curiously. 

"It's new...we're new. We're not labelling anything yet and..." Alex yanked the doughnut bag out of Kara's hands. 

"Hey!" Kara tried her signature pout that usually made her sister cave in.

"No. Do not try that little pouty number on me. It's not going to work. What's up, Kara? Why are we even talking about Maggie right now?"

Kara let out a defeated sigh and sulked into the living room. Alex followed with the bag of doughnuts. Kare plopped down on the couch. 

"You can talk to me. You know that, right?" Alex sat down beside her sister.

"Of course I know that. It's just-"

"It's about Lena Luthor, isn't it?"

Kara's eyes bulge in shock. Her sister had a way of getting right to the point. Before Kara could respond though, Alex continued.

"Look, I know J'onn put a lot of pressure on you to get her to attend the Mayor's ceremony."

"Yeah...that. Well..." Of course that had been the last thing on Kara's mind concerning the beautiful, green-eyed CEO. And there Lena was again...back in Kara's thoughts. She gave her head a quick shake as if that would clear her mind from thoughts of Lena's ruby red lips...those ruby red, kissable lips. Wait...what? "I'm sorry, what?" Kara snapped back to reality and to her sister's unimpressed frown.

"Earth to Kara. Where'd you go just now?"

"Nope. Nowhere. I'm right here. See...it's me, Kara Danvers...your sister. Didn't go anywhere. Nope. Golly...would you look at the time? I've gotta get ready for work. Can't be late. So I'm gonna just..."

Kara went to stand, but Alex was too quick for her. She grabbed Kara by the arm and pulled her back down to the couch. 

"Either you tell me what the hell is going on or I call Maggie to come over and we're going to make out right here on your couch and make you watch." Alex's eyes were stern and serious.

"Okay...ewwwwwww. Gross"

Kara jerked her arm back from Alex and sunk into the couch as she let out a sigh. 

"Then spill it. Now." 

"Aleeeeeeeeex!" 

"Kara Zor-el Danvers."

Alex knew that using Kara's full name always had an effect on her younger sibling. She raised an eyebrow at Kara when she finally looked over at her. But what Alex saw in her sister's eyes wasn't annoyance or anger. It was a mix of anguish and confusion. There was no girl of steel stoic look to those blue eyes. And in that moment Alex realized that Kara was really struggling with something.

"Oh, Kara, come here. It can't be that bad." Alex scooted closer to her sister and wrapped her arms around her. 

When Alex hugged someone, she meant it. Kara always swore when they were kids that a hug from her big sister could end wars and make the monsters under her bed become extinct. It was the kind of hug that said...everything is going to be okay...I've got you. Kara sunk into the embrace, relishing the comfort for a few more moments. Alex rubbed her back for a bit before Kara finally broke free from Alex's arms with a warm smile on her face. Alex returned the sentiment as she kept a soft grip on Kara's arms. Kara took in a deep breath...

"I think...I have feelings for Lena." It came out almost as a whisper. So that if she didn't say it too loud maybe...just maybe there was a chance she was mistaken. 

Alex's eyes widened. She'd was prepared for almost anything Kara could potentially throw her way. Feelings for Lena Luthor wasn't one of them. It wasn't even on the damn list. 

"Come again?" Alex's eyebrow shot up in confusion as she regarded her sister. 

Kara let out a sigh for the millionth time that morning. It looked like she was going to be late for work...again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the Alex and Kara sister dynamic on the show. Doesn't it just give you the feels? Hope I did them some justice with this chapter and the next! :)


	5. ...Okay...There are Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex and Kara have a heart to heart...part 2

A moment of silence passed between the two sisters. Kara was trying to figure out how to tell her sister that she'd lately been thinking about Lena in a....well more than friendly way.

Finally Alex broke the silence...

"You wanna try that again? Because if I heard that correctly...you think you have feelings for Lena Luthor?"

Kara got up from the couch and started her pacing again.

"It's complicated, Alex."

"No, it's really not. Do you or don't you have feelings for LCorp's CEO?"

"Yes. No. I mean...I think... Oh Rao...I don't know!" Kara suddenly stopped pacing and plopped back down on the couch dramatically. 

"How can you not know, Kara? This isn't the sort of thing you just come out and say without there being at least some truth to it." Alex gently took Kara's hand in hers. "Talk to me. We'll figure this out together. You were there for me when I came out to you and told you how I felt about Maggie."

"But that's different!"

Kara was becoming uneasy. Not because she didn't want to talk it out with Alex. But because she was afraid of what might come out of that talk...the potential reality she'd be facing about her feelings for Lena.

"How? How is this any different?" 

"Well, for one...I'm not gay." Kara said it so matter-of-factly that it didn't seem like big deal to her. But it was to Alex.

"Would it be such a bad thing if you were? You don't have to act like it's a taboo thing or something." Alex withdrew her hand from Kara's, hurt in her eyes.

"Oh no! Oh geez, Alex. No...I didn't mean it that way. Not at all!"

"Then explain."

Alex knew they'd never really had the complete coming out conversation...not fully. Kara had been great and so damn supportive. But they'd never discussed what being gay meant to a Kryptonian.

"Okay on Krypton...we didn't...there wasn't. I mean there were no gay or straight or any kind of labels on sexuality. Who you fell in love with...it transcended beyond the sex of each other. In fact, I don't know of any other planet-that I've been to at least-where the inhabitants feel the need to put labels on each other like that. I still find it very...odd."

"You and me both." Alex lets out a sigh, relieved by her sister's explanation.

"So...well, I guess I'm just...whatever."

"Whatever?" Alex raised an eyebrow inquisitively at her sister. 

"Yeah, I mean...who has time to sort through all of these mundane human labels on sexuality?" Kara shrugged her shoulders for emphasis.

"Especially when you've got a sexy CEO on your mind?" 

"Right. Wait-what? No! Arrrrrrrrgh...how do you do that?" Kara's cheeks blushed slightly.

Alex let out a small chuckle. She already knew the answer as to whether or not Kara had feelings for Lena. But Kara needed to come to that realization on her own. Plus it was so much fun watching her little sister squirm. And she couldn't pass up any opportunity she had to make her blush either. She'd done that plenty of times to Alex when teasing her about Maggie. 

"Wait...you think Lena's sexy?" Kara broke Alex's sisterly scheming thoughts with her question. 

Suddenly it occurred to Alex how to get those feelings out of her sister. A slight smirk played across her lips. Oh...this was going to be fun!

"Of course. Who wouldn't? I mean first of all those eyes. So. Damn. Green. Lena's eyes are absolutely stunning. Wouldn't you agree?" 

Well I-I mean-well yes. She does have lovely eyes. But...how would you know? You've barely even met her?" 

"The time she saved my life...after she shot that guy. I looked back and her eyes were the first thing I noticed." 

"Oh...I see. But-"

"And then there's her whole...look." Alex wanted to keep the ball rolling with operation make Kara jealous so she'll finally stop being an oblivious gay for Lena puppy.

"Her look?" Kara questioned, her tone getting all the more confused. 

"Yes, her look. You know...the look that says I'm in charge...I'm the CEO, bitches, and I'll rock every business chic look that exists along with my killer designer heels." 

Alex looked on with amusement as Kara's mouth dropped in disbelief. Oh she was definitely on a roll now, so she continued...

"And her hair. Don't get me started on those long, silky dark locks of amazingness. But you know what really does it for me about Lena? ...her lips. She's got these incredibly red, sultry, sexy lips that just make me want to-"

"Okay no more! No more! Stop!" Kara nearly leaped off the couch while holding her ears so she didn't have to hear any more. 

Alex held in the giggle that threatened to escape at the sight of her now totally disturbed sister. 

"Hey...you asked if I thought she was sexy."

"You...you have a girlfriend!" Kara stomped over to Alex, pointing her finger at her sister. "You don't get to talk about Lena like that! It doesn't matter how gorgeous her green eyes are, or how hot she looks in heels...or...or..."

"How sultry her lips are that make you want to-"

"Kiss her senseless..." Kara's mouth dropped for a second time...this time quite a bit wider. What had she just said? No, she knew what she'd just said. But where did that come from? And now...she was officially screwed. She sat down beside Alex with a bewildered look on her face. "What just happened?"

"I believe that's what we humans like to call...jealousy." Alex gave her sister a playful wink.

"Yooooou...you did that on purpose!" 

"I did." Alex responded with no remorse in her voice or face. 

"That's so not cool, Alex." 

"Neither is denying your feelings. I've been there, done that. I don't want you suffering through that like I did."

"Maybe it's just another one of my silly crushes?" 

"Do you really think that?"

"No...no I don't. Not any more."

Kara leaned into her sister. Alex wrapped her arm around Kara's shoulders and pulled her in close. Kara let out a sigh.

"What am I going to do? She hates me. She wants nothing to do with me."

"I don't know how anyone could hate you, Kara. There's too much damn goodness in that heart of yours. She'll come around. She'd be a fool not to, if you aske me."

That makes Kara giggle slightly. 

"Thank you, Alex. I love you." Kara snuggled into her sister's side.

"You're welcome, Kara." Alex planted a gentle kiss atop Kara's head. "I love you too." 

Kara closed her eyes as they sat in silence, taking comfort in each other. But Kara's mind wasn't feeling very comforted. Now she had two dilemmas...how to convince Lena Luthor to come to the Mayor's award ceremony...and how to tell the CEO that she did indeed have feelings for her. 

It seemed a superhero's work was never quite done...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just love the Danvers sisters? :)


	6. Friends Give Good Hugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara gets into trouble with Snapper. Lena and Vanessa have a chat...and Kara interrupts as only Kara could. Or...the prelude to the big Kara/Lena talk. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a side note, I had to change the comments to users only"because I was spammed with a guest commenting on the last chapter. First they said the story was another "bullshit" attempt to lecture about labels. Then they commented again saying why would Kara be hesitant to admit her feelings for Lena if she was so against labels? And also that if Earth was so "backwards" then why were aliens always coming there to stay?
> 
> First I'd like to say...if you want to label yourself...go for it. It's your prerogative. If you don't want to label yourself...that's cool too. It's your prerogative. My take on Kara is that she's not into labels because they didn't have them where she came from. 
> 
> Second Kara was having a hard time sorting out her feelings for Lena not because Lena is another woman, but because these feelings are something new to her. It runs quite a bit deeper than past "crushes" and that maybe scares her a bit. 
> 
> Third I never said anything about a "backwards" Earth. But if you want my true opinion on the matter...I'm thinking aliens would think some of humanity's ways of thinking are quite backwards, starting with how society treats the LGBT community and that Donald Trump is about to be president of the US...but that's just me. ;)
> 
> Anyway...I hope you will continute to leave comments. I do appreciate the constructive feedback and letting me know that you're enjoying the story. Just don't have time for hating on each other. Besides...this is Supercorp...it's all about the love all around, yeah? Happy reading! XO

Kara felt like at least one weight had been lifted off her shoulders as she headed into work that morning. Alex knew about her feelings and had been totally supportive. Was she still scared about this new revelation? Of course. Because after admitting one's feelings, next came the fear of telling said person and waiting to find out if they felt the same about you. And Kara's "said person" wasn't an ordinary woman. She was Lena Luthor. 

"Get a grip, Kara." She mumbled to herself as she entered her CatCo office. "You're no ordinary woman either. You're feakin' Supergirl." She let out a heavy sigh as she slumped down into her office chair. "So how come not even Supergirl can think of a way to talk to Lena? Pffffft...this is hopeless!" 

"Danvers, my office. Now!" Snapper interrupted Kara's chat with herself.

He left as fast as he entered. Kara grabbed her notebook and pen and scurried out of her office.

*****************************************************************

Snapper was on his cell phone reaming another reporter about a looming deadline. Kara knocked slightly on his already open door. Snapper turned around as he ended the call.

"Danvers. Nice of you to show up for work this morning."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. It was an emergency with my sister and-"

"Save it for someone who gives a damn, blondie. I wanna know where you are with the Cadmus exclusive."

C-Cadmus exclusive?"

Kara flipped frantically through her notebook.

"I'm waiting, Danvers."

"I-Cadmus exclusive, right. Ummmm...what exactly was-"

"Jesus, Danvers. Don't tell me you haven't read the email I sent out to everyone."

"I-of course I read it."

Kara frowned as she grabbed her cellphone out of her back pocket, quickly looking for the email.

"Then you wouldn't mind telling me when your interview with Lena Luthor is. And if you tell me any time other than today, you're fired, Danvers. We're on a deadline here. This story needs to go to print tomorrow morning."

"Today?" Kara swallowed the lump in her throat nervously.

Snapper gave her his signature frown.

"Right. Today it is. You shall have that Lena Luthor exclusive. Coming right up, boss." 

Kara hurried out of Snapper's office. She was breathing heavily when she returned to her office, but not because she'd been running. It was because she had mere hours to find a way to talk to Lena...about the very event that had gotten Kara on the CEO's bad side. And to top it all off, now there were....well...feelings involved. 

"Crap." Kara stated as she entered her office and shut the door. 

********************************************************************  
Meanwhile, In Lena's Office Later That Day...  
********************************************************************

Lena and Vanessa laughed together as they sat on the couch reminiscing about their boarding school days. Lena hadn't felt so relaxed in quite a long time. It felt good chatting with her old friend. Plus it kept her mind off of other things...and other people. She glanced over at the white plumerias on her desk. That's all it took for her thoughts to drift from the current conversation with Vanessa. Suddenly, blue eyes were on her mind. 

"Lena?" Vanessa's voice snapped Lena back to reality. She turned back to her friend.

"Hmmmm? I'm sorry, what were you saying?" 

"I said you should consider a trip to Switzerland the next time you allow yourself any time off. Mom and Dad would love to see you. And of course, I wouldn't complain either." Vanessa gave Lena a playful wink.

"Right. Switzerland." Lena cleared her throat and gathered her thoughts. "Maybe I can pencil you in somewhere around 2020?" 

Vanessa chuckled.

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"And not that I'm complaining, mind you. But why exactly are you in National City? I've realized we've been talking all morning and I don't even know why you're here."

Lena stood and walked over to a nearby table to pour herself a glass of water. 

"Well I would have thought that was obvious? I came here for you."

Lena looked over at Vanessa in confusion.

"I'm afraid I don't understand." 

"I'm here for the Mayor's bravery ceremony, of course."

Lena froze. She'd completely forgotten that the LCorp board had sent out open invitations to investors and business partners to attend the ceremony. It's not like she'd expected anyone to attend anyway. That's what had made it easier for her to decline the Mayor's award. That and a certain blue-eyed alien might have played into the decision...but only a little bit. Vanessa continued...

"You didn't think I'd let the opportunity to see my oldest friend get one of the most prestigious civilian awards bestowed upon her, now did you?" Vanessa grinned. 

Lena took a quick chug of water from the glass she was holding, wishing it would instantly turn into some sort of very strong hard liquor. She gripped the glass with both hands as she let out small sigh, trying to figure out how she was going to break the news to Vanessa.

"I'm not going to the ceremony." May as well be frank about it, Lena thought to herself. 

"You're joking, right?"

Vanessa stood and walked over to where Lena was standing. 

Lena couldn't look her in the eyes. She merely shook her head no. Vanessa wasn't going to let her off the hook just like that though...

"Since when does a Luthor pass up the opportunity to make headlines...good or bad?"

She hadn't meant it as a jab at her family. Lena knew that. But it still stung.

"You always did know how to cut right down to the bone, Vanessa."

Lena poured herself some more water. God how she wished it was something stronger. She'd even take cheap vodka at this point. Vanessa approached Lena. She reached out and put her hand gently on Lena's forearm. 

"Hey, listen, I didn't mean it like that. It's just...why wouldn't you go. Lord knows how much grief you've had to endure because of your family. And now that you have a chance to prove you're the amazing woman I always knew you were...why wouldn't you?"

"It's complicated." That's all Lena felt like saying. 

"Oh please, Lena Luthor lives for the god-damned complicated. Do you really think I'll buy that sorry excuse?

Lena raised her eyebrows as if to say "That's my story and I'm sticking to it" as she raised her glass to take another sip of water. It seemed avoiding the real reason made her throat dry...or was that due to another flash of blue eyes and an adorable smile? 

"Does this have anything to do with Kara Danvers?" 

Lena's eyes went wide and she nearly choked on that sip of water. After some minor coughing and a few pats on the back from Vanessa, she sat down the glass, attempted to straighten out her blouse out of nervousness, and avoided Vanessa's eyes...

"How do you know about Kara?"

"I don't, really. I was just outside with your secretary when she said your visitor wasn't Kara Danvers. Who is she? A lunatic Lex groupie? A psychotic Supergirl fan wanting access to Luthor? Oh? A crazy ex-girlfriend? Do I need to dust off my fencing sword that used to kick your ass with in school and defend your honor?"

Lena let out small laugh. 

"I assure you she's none of those things. And I beg to differ on the fencing ass-kicking!" Lena's grin disappeared as her eyes wandered over to the flowers on her desk. 

Vanessa then knew what was wrong with her friend. She recognized that longing...wishful look in her eyes. How could she have missed that? She stepped in closer and took Lena's hands in hers.

"Does she know how you feel about her?"

Vanessa raised her hand to Lena's face and tipped her chin towards her. Lena's green eyes were glossy with unshed tears. 

"No...I can't, I-"

"Ms Luthor, I'm so sorry-she-"

"Lena, I really need to talk-"

A panting Jess and a determined Kara barged into Lena's office. Both stopped in their tracks though, seeing they'd interrupted some type of moment between Lena and Vanessa. Kara looked away and nervously pushed up her glasses. Lena and Vanessa put some distance between them as Lena wiped her face in case any rogue tears had managed to escape. She looked over at Kara, who was doing everything but looking Lena's way. So she turned her attention to Jess. 

"Jess?"

"I'm so, sorry, Ms. Luthor. She's just...she's just so fast! It's like she has super speed or something!"

Kara let out a small startled cough which amused Lena. But she didn't let it show.

"Kara, now is not a good time." 

Kara finally looked Lena in the eyes. Those damn green eyes. She'd missed those eyes. But now was not the time to get lost in them. Now it was time to put on her Supergirl suit...so to speak...and let Lena know she meant business...

"I need to talk to you. It's important." She was surprised her voice didn't crack and internally congratulated herself for remaining strong.

Lena wasn't budging though. She knew Kara was trying to play the Supergirl card with her so she could get her way. And as much as she'd missed...well everything about Kara, Lena Luthor was a stubborn woman.

"If it's a statement you need, you can go see Ms. Johnson from the PR department down on floor 6." Lena headed for her desk. "That will be all, Jess. Thank you." 

Jess quickly left the room. Vanessa had been watching the whole scene unfold before her. She hadn't missed a thing either. The slight but longing glances Lena and Kara gave each other when the other wasn't looking. The way Kara had nervously reacted to seeing Vanessa and Lena so close. The way Lena bit her bottom lip as she was trying to compose herself. It was obvious to Vanessa that the two knuckleheads had a thing for each other. And she meant knuckleheads in the most endearing way possible. Because obviously something was keeping them from confessing their feelings to each other. And if she had to guess, she'd say stubbornness...at least on Lena's part. Perhaps the adorably flustered blonde was just as stubborn? Had Lena finally met her match? Vanessa smiled at the idea. The silence in the room was getting a bit too awkward. And although she was being thoroughly entertained by how Kara and Lena were glaring at each other ever so "lovingly"...as she'd put it, She knew these two definitely needed to talk. Vanessa walked over to Kara.

"Kara...Kara Danvers, is it?" Vanessa could feel the blazing green daggers of Lena's eyes glaring at her back. Vanessa smiled politely at Kara, 

Kara's gaze on Lena shifted over to Vanessa. Vanessa could tell the blonde was sizing her up, trying to figure out who she was to Lena. 

"Ah...y-yeah. Yes, I'm Kara Danvers. And who are you?"

Vanessa's smile got a tad bit wider as she detected a hint of jealousy in Kara's voice. Oh yeah...the cute blonde definitely had a thing for Lena. Vanessa held out her hand.

"Vanessa Keller. I'm an old friend of Lena's from boarding school." 

Kara shook Vanessa's outstretched hand and gave the woman a strong handshake. She still wasn't sure what to make of this "friend" of Lena's. They seemed to have been having a rather close moment before she'd barged into Lena's office. Had they been girlfriends at boarding school? Wait...maybe they were still seeing each other. Oh geez...what if... Kara shook those thoughts from her mind and tried her best to get back into stoic Supergirl mode. 

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Keller. Where are you visiting from?"

Kara tried to focus on the woman in front of her, but she couldn't help by glance over Vanessa's shoulder to Lena. The CEO looked away from Kara immediately, not wanting to get lost in those sad blue eyes. 

"Switzerland. My family does business with LCorp...has been since before Lena and I even knew each other. Isn't that right, Ms. Luthor?" Vanessa turned her head towards Lena and gave her a wink.

"Yes. Of course." Lena sounded distracted. "And if you don't mind, Kara. We've still got business to discuss so-"

"Oh nonsense!" Vanessa interrupted. "We've been catching up all morning anyway. Plus I've got a lunch meeting set up at 1, so I'll just be on my way and let you two talk." Vanessa walked over to the couch and slipped on her red heels. She grabbed her purse, made her way over to Lena and gave her a kiss on each cheek. "I'll see you later, yeah?" 

Lena merely nodded and Vanessa turned to head for the door...

"Pleasure, Ms. Kara Danvers. You take good care of her, okay?" And with that, Vanessa left Lena's office.

"Y-yeah...sure. Okay."

Kara was all kinds of confused as she watched Vanessa leave. When she turned back to Lena, the CEO was propped up on her desk with both arms, her head down. Kara stood still by the door, suddenly not so sure if she could do this. But there were things to say. So she sucked it up and stepped a bit closer to the desk.

"Lena?"

Lena couldn't help the goosebumps that rose on her arms at the way Kara said her name. It was full of emotion and concern, but still strong and certain all at the same time. She slowly raised her head. Emerald green was met with crystal clear blue. Yes, there were things to be said. But where did they even dare to start?...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming up next...the big Kara/Lena talk you've all been waiting for...just as soon as I figure out how it's gonna go...hehehe. ;)


	7. Of Doughnuts and Converse Sneakers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena finally talk about...stuff.

What was that saying the humans had? The eyes are the windows to the soul? Well in the moment Lena finally looked into her eyes after she'd said her name, Kara definitely understood why such a saying existed. And for once, it wasn't because of any of her super-powers. Not even her X-ray vision would have given her the depth of...everything she saw in that green gaze regarding her. Kara didn't realize she'd been holding her breath the entire moment. It was now or never...

The moment Lena looked up at Kara, she felt most of that resolve to stand her ground of angst and disappointment towards the reporter melt away. She silently cursed herself for letting those blue eyes make her feel so vulnerable. So many feelings came rushing back to the surface...ones she'd be working so hard to push out of sight and out of mind. But she was a Luthor. And Luthors knew how to fight. She let out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding since she'd looked up at Kara and decided it was time to settle everything once and for all...

Before either of them could break the silence, Kara's stomach growled...very loudly. Kara groaned in embarrassment as Lena's lips formed into an ever so slight grin. Lena headed over to the table where the pitcher of water was as she talked...

"And here I thought skipping breakfast was only something I tended to do."

Lena poured a glass of water for Kara and grabbed a leftover bagel from the breakfast she and Vanessa had shared earlier. She walked over to Kara. Kara sat her notebook and pen down on Lena's desk and graciously accepted the CEO's offering. 

"Oh no, I ate like two dozen doughnuts this morning." She took a bite of the bagel then washed it down with a sip of water. "Thank you."

Lena raised an eyebrow at the beautiful blonde as she made quick work of the bagel.

"Two dozen...doughnuts?"

Kara nodded her head as she finished the bagel and glass of water.

"Well I guess being an alien has even more perks than I thought." Lena grabbed the glass from Kara's hand and headed back to the table. "Being able to eat whatever you want. Must be nice." 

When Lena walked away, Kara found herself noticing the sway of Lena's hips and the tight skinny jeans that accented her curves in just the right spots. While Lena put away the rest of the bagels, Kara's eyes seemed to be transfixed on the CEO's butt...no jeans. Lena was wearing jeans! And they were definitely a very nice pair of jeans...very nice indeed. Kara couldn't seem to take her eyes off of Lena's...backside. Wait, what? Was she just checking out Lena's...

"No!" Kara exclaimed aloud. She cringed instantly. That was supposed to have been an internal "no."

Lena turned around to face her as she dusted her hands off on those very same jeans Kara had be...observing. She gave Kara an inquisitive look.

"I'm sorry?"

"Ah...I mean...no. No it's actually...a pain really. The...whole alien metabolism thing. I always seem to be eating." Kara let out a nervous chuckle as Lena studied her for a moment, not sure what exactly to think. 

Lena made her way back over to her desk...

"Well, it can't be all bad. I mean look at you. If I could eat copious amounts of food like you and still look like you do...I wouldn't need to make a New Year's resolution every year to lose weight and stay in shape." Lena rustled through a few papers on her desk.

"What are you talking about? You already look amazing! And anyway, I'm not-you shouldn't judge yourself based on me. Well that's just-I mean look at me...and look at you...you're...well gorgeous...and I-I'm, I mean I'm just plain old Kara Danver. It's just not an adequate comparison...because..." Kara was in full blown ramble mode and she was pretty sure her cheeks had darkened to an embarrassing shade of red. She had to think of something...and quick. "...because...jeans!"

Yeah...that wasn't the save she was looking for. But it was the first thing that popped into her frantic head. Lena wasn't sure what to make of the incredibly flustered (and adorable) mess that was in front of her. She crossed her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow.

"Jeans?" 

"Y-Yeah! You're wearing jeans today. And are those..." Kara walked over to Lena and looked down at her feet. "Converse sneakers?" 

"I was working in my lab early this morning when Vanessa surprised me with a visit. I didn't have time to change." Lena suddenly felt herself becoming uncharacteristically self-conscious. When Kara looked up at her, she averted those blue eyes by looking down at the very shoes Kara had just mentioned. 

Kara sensed the shift in Lena's demeanor. It was if she seemed almost vulnerable at the mention of her casual dress. 

"I like it." 

Lena's eyes rose to meet a warm grin from Kara. Kara continued now that she had the CEO's attention...

"I mean...you look nice. You really do. I've just never seen the casual side of Lena Luthor before." Kara's eyes softened, hoping that she'd said the right thing.

"There are many sides to me, Kara. I'm sure you can relate? But most people don't bother to get to know those other sides. They see what they want to see...a Luthor in a fancy dress and heels who can make their company money." Lena's face became hardened at the thought. 

"But maybe that's because you only let people see one side? The business side?" Kara asked, trying to get the CEO to open up a little. 

"Very few are worthy of seeing the other sides of me." Lena replied matter-of-factly as she locked eyes with Kara.

Kara didn't falter. She knew she had to keep up with Lena or she'd surely lose any courage she felt she had...and it was a small amount to say the least. She took a step closer to Lena. 

"What about Vanessa? Has she seen these other sides of you?" It was a bold move. Kara knew it. And she wasn't sure she was ready for the answer. 

Lena's eyes shifted side to side quickly but didn't leave Kara's. Then green eyes focused once again squarely on blue eyes...

"Vanessa has seen more sides of me than most. Especially considering she's my ex-girlfriend." Lena said it with calm conviction, waiting to to see how Kara would react. 

"Girlfriend, right, yeah. Y-yeah, I thought when I first came in your office that..uh, yeah. Well that answers that question." Kara cursed herself internally for once again sounding like a flustered idiot...and for bringing up Vanessa, whom she was clearly not jealous of...nope, not at all.

This time Lena took a step closer. They were now standing about an arm's length apart. Kara's heart sped up. What was happening? She willed her body to calm down. But it didn't seem to be listening. 

"Ex...girlfriend. And what question did I answer, Kara?" Lena bit her bottom lip as she glanced down at Kara's lips and then back up at those nervous blue eyes. 

Kara was pretty sure all of National City could hear her heart pounding in her chest now. Did Lena just look...at her lips? Had she imagined that? ...Get a grip, Kara, she said silently to herself. 

"Oh, well, I just meant...it seemed like the two of you were close when I...well you know...came barging into your office." Kara tried chuckling at that to ease the tension. It wasn't helping. "So I wondered if you two were...maybe together? So now I know...the answer." 

Lena tilted her head slightly as she looked at Kara curiously before speaking...

"We were together quite a long time ago. We're just friends now. But tell me, Kara. Did you come here to discuss my exes or was there something you needed?" 

"No. Well I just..." Kara looked away, quickly fiddling with her glasses. Then she took a deep breath and held it for a moment before exhaling. She looked back at Lena and knew this time it was truly a now or never situation. 

"You just what, Kara?"

Lena wanted to close the distance between them, but something held her back. Maybe it was the struggle she saw going on Kara's eyes. Maybe it was because the damn tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife and serve it as a main course. Or maybe it was just because Lena was struggling too. Because every since Kara had set foot in her office, she'd been torn between telling Kara to get the hell out and pulling her by that damn collared cardigan of hers into a searing kiss. 

Kara watched Lena's eyes as a moment of silence passed between them. And for the second time that day...she realized why humans had said what they did about the eyes...being the windows to the soul. Because in that moment, she saw something in Lena's eyes. Beyond the depths of green, there was a sense of understanding...of comfort. And Kara knew that she wasn't alone in what she was feeling. But Lena was hesitant. And Kara needed to be the one to reassure her. She stepped in closer to Lena...close enough to hear the slight hitch of her breath at the sudden closeness. 

"I just...would like to be able to get to know all of the sides of you. The Converse wearing side. The nerdy lab-rat engineering side. Even the ones you've probably always tried to keep hidden from everyone else. Because...it's all of those sides that come together to make you who you are. And who you are is an amazingly smart, elegant, pragmatic...and beautiful woman. And I-"

"Kara." It was barely above a whisper as it escaped Lena's lips. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. "There are sides to me that aren't so beautiful."

"Please...you've seen me eat an entire take-out container of potstickers in one sitting. There's nothing beautiful about that." Kara gave Lena a reassuring smile. 

Lena let out a small laugh, making a few of the tears finally fall down her cheeks. Kara raised her hand up to Lena's cheek and gently wiped the tears away. Lena closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. Kara felt warm, comforting...safe. 

"Hey...don't cry. Come here, I've got you."

Kara pulled Lena into her and wrapped her arms around the CEO's neck. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt Lena's arms wrap around her waist and hold her tight without hesitation as she nestled her face into the crook of Kara's neck. Kara gently gripped the back of Lena's head with one hand as her other arm rubbed along Lena's upper back for comfort. She closed her eyes tight. A few tears of her own made their way down her cheeks. Lena was in her arms. In that moment, that was all that mattered to Kara. Lena was in her arms. And she wasn't about to let her go...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SUPERCORP HUG! :D ...Finally, right? ;)


	8. The Unveiling of Kara Zor-El

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena continue their talk.

Many things were racing through Lena's mind as she melted into Kara's warm embrace. This was definitely not something she'd been expecting when Kara had come barging into her office earlier. She'd expected to give the reporter whatever quote she needed and then send her on her way. Because Lena just wasn't ready to deal with all of the feelings that swirled in the pit of her stomach like rabid butterflies the the moment Kara suddenly showed up...just as she and Vanessa had been talking about her. That wasn't ironic...nope, not at all. But Kara had a way of making Lena forget any previous notions she'd made to dismiss the blonde and continue her brooding. 

When Kara had wrapped her arms around Lena and told her "I've got you," it took everything inside the CEO not to break down and cry. She wanted to...so much. After all Lena had been through, she definitely deserved a good cry to purge all of that anger and anguish out of her system. But she also deserved to feel the honest comfort that Kara's warming embrace was currently making her feel. Hugging Kara felt like being in the arms of a very strong yet incredible soft teddy bear. She knew the comparison sound fairly contradictory, but that's what it felt like...the strength of a superhero mixed with the soft comfort of that teddy bear that you've had since a kid and made you feel...safe, secure...loved. 

Loved? Wait...where had that come from? Yes, things had shifted slightly during the course of their conversation...but how much? Where things okay now? Would they be okay in the future? What did this hug mean? Friends again? More than friends? And where did Supergirl fit into all of this? 

Supergirl...

Lena let out a small sigh as she slowly let go of Kara and took a slight step back. She instantly missed the warming comfort those strong arms had just provided. But Lena composed herself. Gentle blue eyes looked at her as she struggled with how to say what was on her mind. Well...there was a lot on Lena's mind. Aside from unsaid feelings and subtle sexual tensions...there was something more important that needed to be discussed. 

Lena's right hand slowly reached out towards Kara's neck, her eyes finally leaving Kara's as they focused on the collar of her button-down cardigan. She let her fingers gently touch the skin of Kara's neck before pushing the collar slightly aside, revealing the textured blue of Kara's Supergirl suit. Then her hand went down to the first button. Lena looked up at Kara. She looked nervous. It could have been from the ever so slight jolt she felt from Kara when her fingers had subtly grazed her skin. It could have been that she knew what Lena was about to ask. It could have been many things in that moment...

"May I?" Lena asked gently, her hand still holding onto the button.

Kara swallowed the lump in her throat and gave Lena a small nod. 

Lena undid the first button of Kara's shirt, but she kept her eyes locked Kara's nervous blue gaze. She undid the second button...the third...all the way down to the last button, never taking her eye's off of Kara. Then Lena took in a deep breath, let it out, and looked back down at Kara's chest as she pushed aside the shirt she'd just unbuttoned. For a moment, she did nothing. Lena took her time examining the symbol before her. She thought of Lex and how the same symbol had driven him to madness. She thought of her mother and how she'd let herself be consumed by her hatred of all things alien. And she thought of how all things alien...now included Kara. 

Lena's hand trembled a bit as she brought it up to Kara's chest. Her fingers slowly traced along the diamond shape of the symbol. Then they followed the along the "S." Her hand finally steadied as she placed her palm against the "S." Kara's breath hitched slightly at the warmth that surged through her body with the feel of Lena's palm against her chest. Lena felt the hard thumps of Kara's heart as she closed her eyes and took in the moment. She kept her eyes closed as she spoke, for fear that she wasn't quite yet prepared to see what Kara's eyes would reveal...

"I need you to speak the truth, Kara." Lena's voice was stern but gentle. 

"Of course." Kara replied softly.

Lena kept her palm on Supergirl's symbol.

"What is your true name?" 

"Kara Zor-El...of the Krypton House of El."

"Kara Zor-El" Lena said back. She didn't see the slight smile that appeared across Kara's lips at the sound of Lena saying her real name aloud. Silence passed between them for a moment before Lena spoke again. "Kara Zor-El...that first time you came to my office...were you, a Super, looking for dirt on me, a Luthor?"

Kara knew there was no point in lying to Lena. She couldn't even if she wanted to...not anymore.

"Yes." Kara replied. 

"And did you find anything...you and your cousin, Superman?" Lena kept her palm steady on Kara's chest, her eyes still closed.

"No, we didn't. That's why Clark wrote the positive article about LCorp."

"I see." Lena was silent for another moment. She opened her eyes, her palm still covering Supergirl's symbol as her eyes slowly travelled up to meet Kara's.

Lena's eyes were aglow with green intensity. Kara was trying her best to keep calm on the outside. But on the inside, she knew her thumping heart was giving her nervousness away. 

"And did Kara Danvers befriend me so that she could keep tabs on the Luthor who was now running the family business?" 

Kara eyes shifted from nervous to pained. Because telling Lena the truth was proving to be quite painful...

"Yes. Initially." She searched Lena's face for a reaction. 

Lena closed her eyes for a moment, trying to will away the pain she was also feeling. She nodded her head head slightly in understanding and then opened her eyes again. 

"Initially..." Lena took in a slight breath, trying to calm the nerves. "And now?" Her eyes searched Kara's hopefully. 

Kara closed the small distance between them and placed both her hands over Lena's on her chest. She wondered if Lena was feeling as vulnerable as she was right now. 

"And now I-"

There was a knock on Lena's office door. Both Lena and Kara quickly stepped away from each other. Kara used her super-speed to button her shirt back up. She quickly headed over to the other side of Lena's desk, grabbed her pen and notebook, and sat down in the chair in front of the desk. Lena smoothed out the imaginary wrinkles in her blouse and jeans, trying to compose herself. There was another knock.

"Yes, come in." Lena said as she sat down at her desk right as Jess walked in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Ms. Luthor, but you have a call from a Mr. Wells in London. He said it was an urgent business matter that needed to be dealt with immediately."

"Thank you, Jess. Tell Mr. Wells that I'll be with him shortly." 

Jess nodded and exited the office. 

Lena let out a sigh as she closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. When she opened her eyes, Kara was looking at her with an understanding smile on her face. Lena gave her a small smile back...

"I'm sorry, Kara, but I have to take this call."

"Of course." Kara stood up. 

Lena stood and noticed the notebook in Kara's hands. 

"I can give you a few quick quotes." Kara looked confused and when she didn't respond right away, Lena pointed to her notebook. "I assume that's what you came here for...you're working on another story about me?" 

Kara looked down at her notebook.

"Oh! No...no, I mean...yes, I did come here for that...initially."

Lena chuckled Apparently "initially" was Kara's word of the day.

"Initially? ...and now?" Lena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"And now it's not important."

Lena walked over to the reporter and took Kara's free hand in hers.

"Kara, I'd be happy to-"

"No, it's okay, really. You go take that call. We can always talk later about...things." Kara gave Lena's hand a reassuring squeeze. She gave Lena a shy smile, which Lena returned...equally as shy. "I better..." Kara pointed over to the door with her hand holding the notebook.

"Yes, of course." 

Lena let go of Kara's hand, and Kara made her way over to the door. Lena watched on as she opened the door, but paused. Kara turned around, gave Lena a slight wave with that adorable smile of hers, and mouthed "bye." Lena gave her a quick wave goodbye before Kara turned back and left the office. Lena leaned back on her desk and couldn't help but smile again. It seemed Kara had a way of making the CEO grin quite often now. And not that Lena would admit it to anyone but...it felt damn good to smile like that. Once she came back down from her Kara Danvers high, she made her way back around her desk, sat down, and got ready to take her business call...

...Kara waved to Jess as she passed by her desk. She got into the elevator with a big smile on her face. She touched her hand to her chest on the "S" symbol beneath her shirt where Lena's hand had been not moments before. Kara decided she could get used to this feeling...this fluttering in her chest. It was a beautiful feeling indeed. Her "happy moment" was interrupted by her cellphone's loud ringtone. She fished the phone out of her bag as she exited the elevator. The caller ID said: Snapper.

"Crap." 

Kara let out a frustrated sigh as she exited the LCorp building...her phone still ringing. Snapper was expecting her Lena Luthor on Cadmus exclusive. But she'd made her decision on the matter up in Lena's office. Some things were more important than getting a story. And some people were more important than getting an exclusive scoop. Lena Luthor had become one of those people to her. Maybe Snapper would settle for a Supergirl interview instead...and maybe he wouldn't and would fire her there on the spot. There was only one way to find out...

"Hello?" Kara said as she answered her phone...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...feeling the Supercorp love... ;)


	9. Like a (Lena) Boss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara's job is in danger and Lena finds out...

Kara flew to the Catco building, ducked into a nearby alley, and quickly changed back into her work attire. The call with Snapper had been short and consisted mostly of her boss yelling so loud she could have heard him from Krypton. She hadn't been able to get a word in...aside from saying she was on her way before there was the loud click in her ear of Snapper hanging up on the other end. She straightened up her shirt, secured her bag, and headed into the CatCo building...

***********************************************  
Meanwhile...in Lena's office...  
***********************************************

Lena was sitting at her desk mulling over some papers when Jess stepped into her office. The secretary knocked gently on the already open door. Lena looked up.

"Ms Luthor? I know you asked not to be disturbed, but I just took a rather strange phone call, and I thought you should know."

"If it's another one of those tabloid reporters, don't worry about it, Jess. I'll make sure security traces the call to find out who it is and you can be sure they won't be calling to harass us again." Lena looked back down at her work.

"It wasn't a tabloid reporter, Ms. Luthor. Well...it was a reporter, but he was looking for Ms. Danvers?"

Lena looked up from her work, concern on her face. 

"He was calling about Kara?"

Jess nodded slightly...

"Some guy who called himself Snapper? He wanted to talk to you, but I told him you were in a meeting. He said that meeting better be with Kara Danvers because if the blondie isn't busy getting CatCo their Lena Luthor on Cadmus exclusive, she better believe she won't have a job to come back to. He sounded rather...ummm...upset?"

"Oh Kara...what have you done?" Lena whispered to herself. She looked back at Jess. "Thank you, Jess. If anyone else calls today, can you let them know I'll be out of the office for the rest of the day. If anything important comes up, you can call my cell. Otherwise I've got an emergency to attend to."

"Of course, Ms. Luthor."

As Jess left her office, Lena sat back in her chair and let out a sigh. She let the new information Jess had given her sink in. Kara had come to her office for an interview, but she hadn't even brought it up. In fact, she'd brushed it off as no big deal when Lena had offered to give her a few quotes before she left. And from what Jess had told her...Kara's job was at stake if she didn't bring her boss the story. That meant that...

The realization made the butterflies that had been swirling around in Lena's chest when Kara was there earlier flutter again. An overwhelming warmth of emotion swept through her. Kara had put Lena first...ahead of her career. She'd risked her job to prove that she really had been speaking the truth like Lena had asked of her. And that truth was that she did care about their friendship. It wasn't about checking up on Lena Luthor, the CEO of LCorp anymore. It was about checking in on Lena, Kara's friend and...what else? They hadn't been able to get that far yet since they'd been interrupted. 

But that didn't keep Lena's heart from feeling filled with gratitude and awe. Gratitude because Kara had cared enough about what had gone on between them that she didn't want to risk messing that up by going into reporter mode. And awe because nobody had ever put Lena's feelings and needs first before. It was a new feeling...that someone would actually do something so selfless for her. Yes, it was definitely a new feeling...but it was one she could totally get used to. 

Lena didn't have time to dwell on all of these new feelings and emotions though. She wasn't about to let Kara...this woman she cared so much about lose her job because she was too damn good-hearted to ask Lena the questions she'd needed for her article. Mushy Lena would have to wait. Now it was time for "don't fuck with me, bitches" CEO Lena to come out. A sly smirk passed over Lena's lips. Oh yes...she was definitely going to enjoy this.

 

********************************************  
Meanwhile...at CatCo...  
********************************************

Kara had been waiting outside Snapper's office for some time now. And that wasn't a good sign. Snapper wasn't the type to wait to yell at someone. She fidgeted with her pen and notebook nervously as she waited, trying to figure out just how she was going to explain to her boss why she hadn't interviewed Lena. It's not like she could say she spent the afternoon nearly confessing her feelings for the woman she was supposed to be interviewing. Yeah...that would go over so well. Kara let out a frustrated sigh. She could always say that Ms. Luthor had been in a meeting when she arrived at LCorp...and that she waited for some time, but the meeting was running long. Yeah...that could work...right? 

Kara jumped up quickly at the sound of Snapper's office door opening. Snapper looked his usual unpleasant self...but maybe a little more angrier than usual. 

"Inside, Danvers. Now. Before you can come up with any more excuses in your head as to why your article isn't already on my desk."

Kara was about to walk past Snapper into his office when she heard a familiar voice behind her...

"Kara! I'm so sorry I'm late. That meeting ran over much longer than I expected." 

Kara's eyes widened at the sound of Lena's voice. When she turned around, she was met with intense green eyes upon her. 

"L-Lena-Ms. Luthor! You're...here?" 

Aside from the total shock that Lena was currently standing before her at CatCo, Kara then did a double-take at Lena's appearance. She was no longer in her casual woven shirt, jeans, and Converse sneakers. And no more wearing her hair down with minimal makeup like this morning. Lena was back in full CEO mode. Her hair was pulled up into a flawless bun. She had on burgundy pantsuit with a fitted, white button up blouse underneath. Around her neck she wore a beautiful teardrop garnet necklace that matched the earrings in her ears. Her makeup was a bit less subtle than it had been this morning...but wasn't overdone. Her lips were a dark shade of crimson. And of course...she had on a pair of matching designer heels. She looked...absolutely stunning.

"You mind telling me what's going on, Danvers?"

Kara had been staring at Lena...and Lena had noticed. Lena raised an eyebrow curiously as a sly grin spread across her flawless lips. She cleared her throat to try to help Kara snap out of it. Kara could look all she wanted. Lena didn't mind. But she'd rather have Kara's job situation under control first. 

"Ummm...right. What's going on here is that..." Kara was struggling. Her eyes begged Lena for a little assistance. Anything would do to help Kara feel like less of an bumbling idiot at this point. 

Lena stepped forward and offered her hand to Snapper...

"I'm Lena Luthor. You must be Kara's boss..."

"Snapper Carr." Snapper took Lena's hand into a firm handshake. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Luthor. And if you don't mind me saying, you're even more beautiful in person." 

Kara rolled her eyes. Was her boss really trying to hit on Lena? The thought totally grossed her out. She had to fight back the urge to gag. Lena's smile got a little bigger when she noticed Kara's reaction to Snapper's compliment. The whole situation was becoming...quite amusing for the CEO. She quickly looked back at Snapper and took back her hand. 

"Thank you, Mr. Carr. That's lovely of you to say. I do hope I'm not too late to give Kara her interview?"

"You're here for an interview?" Snapper looked at Lena quizzically. 

"Yes, of course. The piece you're going to be running on Cadmus? I do apologize once again for my tardiness. Poor Ms. Danvers was waiting outside my office all morning while I was in a meeting with LCorp investors. It ran over and Kara had already left. I was going to call her to reschedule. But then my secretary said you had called looking for her. Something about not having a job if she doesn't have the interview?" Lena cocked her head ever so accusingly at Snapper.

"Well, yes. I might have said something along those lines." Snapper replied defensively. 

"And you'd fire one of your best reporters due to circumstances out of her control, Mr. Carr? That hardly seems fair." Lena's voice was signature CEO stern.

"Danvers here seems to have a problem with understanding deadlines. Surely a woman like yourself understands the concept of meeting deadlines, Ms. Luthor? Or haven't you quite figured that out yet, being such a new CEO and all?" Snapper smirked at Lena.

Snapper's jab didn't faze Lena at all. She was used to dealing with the misogynistic bullshit day in and day out from guys like Snapper. But she had to play it cool now...because Kara's job was on the line. And as much as she'd love to put Snapper in his place, tell him off, and tell Kara she could find a much better reporting job for a boss who wasn't a complete asshole...she knew Kara's job was important to her. Lena gave Snapper a classy smirk right back...

 

"I do know quite a bit about deadlines, Mr. Carr. In fact, I'm quite sure this Cadmus piece you're working on has to go to print by tomorrow morning. Otherwise you may get scooped by The Daily Planet. And you know how I know that? Because Clark Kent called my office this afternoon as well asking for an exclusive interview about Cadmus and my mother."

Kara was pretty sure she watching the entire exchange between Lena and Snapper with her mouth agape. And not just because it was incredibly hot hearing Lena telling off her arrogant boss in her sexy as hell work attire and confident "I mean business" CEO manner of speaking...okay, never mind. That's totally what it was. Lena was completely in her element, and Kara could only marvel in amazed silence at the woman before her who was single-handedly saving her job.

 

Lena could tell Snapper was fuming at the mention of CatCo's rival scooping them on the Cadmus story. She could also tell by her quick glance over at Kara that she'd managed to make the reporter blush and quickly avert her blue-eyed stare as she nervously pushed up her glasses. Oh yeah...Lena was definitely enjoying this...just as she'd predicted. It wasn't every day she had the opportunity to put an egotistical male in his place (although she'd done it plenty of times at board meetings and business meetings alike) AND turn on the "girl of steel" at the same time. She gave Snapper a moment to collect his thoughts before continuing...

"So what's it going to be, Mr. Carr? Did I waste my time coming over here? Or are you going to let Ms. Danvers here do her job and interview me so you get your CatCo exclusive?" 

Snapper looked over at Kara then back to Lena. 

"Have the piece on my desk by 8pm, Danvers. Good day, Ms. Luthor." And with that, Snapper went back into his office and slammed the door. 

Kara looked at Lena in disbelief. Lena's eye lit up with satisfaction as she smiled beautifully at Kara.

"I...what just happened?" Kara asked as she approached Lena.

Lena chuckled as she took Kara's hand and started leading her out of the room...

"Dinner first. Questions later." 

Kara could live with that. After all, Lena had just saved her ass with Snapper. Lena had come to her rescue. How ironic was that...the CEO saving the superhero? No, not ironic...more like...hot. The whole ordeal had turned Kara on. "Oh geez, Kara, get a grip already"...she thought to herself. She really needed to work on keeping her hormones in check...especially around Lena. What if she were to notice? That would be so embarrassing. Especially since they were still technically only just friends. Just play it cool, Danvers. Play it cool and she'll never notice.

Lena led Kara into the elevator while Kara was still silently freaking out about everything related to the sexy CEO. 

...play it cool, Danvers. She'll never notice...

But as soon as she glanced up at Lena, Kara felt her cheeks instantly flush. And Lena gave her a knowing smirk. So much for playing it cool, Kara thought, as the elevator doors closed in front of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...poor Kara. She's struggling with all things Lena...hehe. ;)


	10. The Pain in Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry about only part of Chapter 10 posting. I'm not sure what happened! Here's the WHOLE chapter. Thanks for bringing it to my attention and for reading the not done chapter in the first place and figuring out something wasn't quite right...haha! 
> 
> Chapter summary:
> 
> Kara finds out the truth behind Lena not wanting to attend the Mayor's award ceremony.

They didn't say much to each other during the car ride to the Chinese restaurant Lena had let Kara choose (because of their awesome potstickers, of course). But it wasn't because there was any sort of awkwardness between them after what had just happened at CatCo. It was because Lena had to take a call from an important investor overseas. 

"I'm sorry, Kara. I have to take this. I'll try to make it brief." 

"Of course. Don't worry about it." Kara replied as she gave Lena a reassuring smile. 

And Kara didn't mind. Of course Lena still had to work. She'd left her office in the middle of the day to come save the reporter's job. That was something Kara never would have anticipated happening in a million years. Lena Luthor...one of National City's most powerful women, dropping whatever important business she may have been working on to come to CatCo to see to it that Kara didn't get fired? Yup...she definitely hadn't seen that coming. And now she was sitting in the back of Lena's luxurious sedan next to said CEO being driven to her favorite little "hole in the wall" Chinese restaurant, where they were presumably going to do the interview. 

Kara smiled as she looked out the car window, watching the tall skyscrapers of National City pass by. Suddenly, she felt Lena's hand clasp over hers and give it a gentle squeeze. Kara looked over a Lena. The CEO mouthed "sorry" to Kara while still on her phone. 

"It's okay." Kara whispered. 

Lena's hand quickly left Kara's as she reached down into her bag and pulled out her planner. As she flipped through it while continuing her phone conversation, Kara turned her head back towards the car window. She couldn't help by smile at Lena's cute gesture just moments ago. Kara found herself wishing she could feel Lena's touch on her skin more often. Even if it was something so slight as what she'd just done to Kara's hand. Slight...yet incredibly sweet, Kara thought to herself. Lena didn't come across as the touchy-feely type. But then...there was quite a lot about the CEO she didn't know. Hopefully though...she'd get to find out. 

Kara's Lena musings were interrupted by her phone's text message tone going off in her bag. She reached inside and grabbed her phone. It was a text from Alex:

-J'onn wants a status update on Lena attending the ceremony 

Of course he does, Kara thought to herself. Nevermind that she'd almost lost her job and that Lena was finally talking to her again as of today. But if J'onn had it his way, Kara wouldn't even be working at CatCo. She'd be working full time at the DEO. Hank respected that Kara wanted a life separate from Supergirl. But she also knew that sometimes he questioned whether she could continue to be both Kara Danvers and Supergirl when threats like Cadmus were plaguing the city. 

-Status update...now. 

Kara let out a quiet sigh. The award ceremony. How was she going to convince Lena to go...how could she? Lena had just saved her job and didn't expect anything in return. Kara quickly typed a response to Alex:

-Working on it. Need some more time.

Kara hit send and got a response from Alex almost instantly:

-Well work on it faster. I've got a green martian glaring at me because Luthor hasn't committed yet. 

Kara frowned at her phone. Work on it faster? This wasn't something super speed could do. She couldn't just flat out ask Lena to reconsider going to the award ceremony...could she? No, that would definitely be pushing it. And Kara didn't want to risk destroying the still fragile relationship between the two of them. Whether it was friendship or something more...it wasn't worth it to her. But J'onn was expecting Kara to convince Lena to come. It was important to the DEO, to J'onn himself, and to National CIty. Kara quickly typed a response to her sister:

-Tell him to chill out. I'm with Lena now. 

Kara was satisfied with her response. Why not be vague about it? She was with Lena now. That much was true. She'd let them assume it was to talk about the award ceremony. Hopefully that would be enough for now. But it was Alex...and Kara knew better than to assume anything about her sister when the next text came:

-Great! So just ask her now. Standing by...

Kara rolled her eyes. 

-You'll be standing by for a while. She's on a business call. Both of you...chill. I'll text you later.

Kara was about to put away her phone when the text tone went off again:

-You better...with confirmation that she's attending...and if we were right about those sultry lips. ;) ;) 

Kara quickly tossed her phone into her bag and looked out the car window, hoping that her currently blushing cheeks would calm down before Lena's phone call ended. But of course, there was no such luck...

"Sorry about that, Kara. I'm afraid we'll have to get those potstickers of yours to go and head back to my office....Kara?" Lena leaned in closer to the reporter, who seemed to be caught up in looking out the window.

"Hmmm?" Kara turned to Lena, only to be looking directly at those "sultry lips" her sister had just mentioned in the text message. She quickly looked away then up to Lena's eyes. "Sorry...what were you saying?"

Lena noticed Kara's not so subtle glance at her lips. But she didn't want to embarrass her any further, so she smiled politely and continued...

"Is is okay if we get the food to go and bring it back to my office for a working interview. There's something I need to handle."

"S-sure...of course. That's fine. I can just call ahead so it's ready when we arrive!" Kara nervously fished through her bag and pulled out her phone.

Lena gently grasped Kara's wrist...

"Hey...is everything okay? Was Snapper bothering you again? She looked down at Kara's phone then back at Kara. "Because I can always-"

"No...no, it's fine. Everything is fine with Snapper. Haven't heard from him since you put him in his place on my behalf earlier." Kara's eyes softened as she spoke. "Thank you for that, by the way. That was...well...that was pretty amazing." Kara gave Lena a bashful grin, trying not to blush too hard. 

...and Lena thought Kara couldn't get any more adorable in that moment. She smiled back at Kara before letting go of her wrist and pointing to her phone.

"You better order us dinner because we're almost there."

"Right! I'm totally on it!"

Lena chuckled as Kara scrolled through her phone and placed the call...

 

******************************************  
Later...in Lena's office....  
******************************************

They ate their dinner in between Lena answering questions for Kara's article and Lena working on her laptop. Lena was pleasantly surprised by how the two of them seemed to work together seamlessly. There was a this flow between them that made everything seem so relaxed and comfortable. Kara looked up from her notebook after jotting down the last thing Lena had said to her and watched Lena work on her laptop. She'd occasionally write something down on the notepad next to her and then go back to reading on her laptop. Lena felt Kara's eyes watching her and glanced up from her work...

"What? Are we out of potstickers?" Lena held Kara's eyes, waiting for the blonde to waver under her gaze in true Kara fashion...

"Oh! What? Nothing...no. I'm plenty full. It's just...just..."

Lena raised an eyebrow inquisitively and smirked at Kara ever so slightly. Kara finally averted her eyes down to her notebook and tried composing herself before continuing. 

"I think I've got everything I need for the article."

"Splendid." Lena looked down at her watch. "And with plenty of time to get it on Mr. Carr's desk by 8pm." 

Kara gave a slight nod as her cell phone started to ring. She grabbed it and saw Alex's name across the phone screen. Kara quickly hit the silent button and focused her attention back on Lena.

"Thank you again...for everything. I-" Kara's phone started to ring again. She quickly hit ignore and sat it down beside her.

"Maybe you should answer that? It could be important? Like...Supergirl important?"

"No, it's just my sister bugging me about something. It's fine. I-" Kara's phone started going off with text notifications...rapidly.

Kara grabbed her phone and put it on silent. She let out a huge, frustrated sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Lena got up from her desk and walked around to Kara. 

"Kara? What's up? Is there something you're not telling me?" 

Kara didn't respond. Lena took a step closer and put her hand on Kara's shoulder.

"Hey...look at me." Lena waited until blue eyes met hers before continuing. "Just tell me what it is."

Kara let out a deep sigh. Those damn piercing...sexy green eyes. She couldn't hide anything from Lena with those eyes looking at her so sincerely. She just hoped Lena wouldn't hate her all over again after telling her...

"J'onn...I mean Director Henshaw... tasked Supergirl with the job of getting you to change your mind about attending the Mayor's award ceremony." Kara noticed the way Lena's eyes shifted from concern to a more hardened resolve. 

"I see." Lena removed her hand from Kara's shoulder and walked back over to her desk. She paused for a moment there before stepping to the balcony window. 

Kara let Lena think for a moment before breaking the silence...

"It would really mean a lot to the DEO...and to the city...if you were there."

Lena turned around to face Kara with her arms crossed over her chest. 

"And what about Supergirl? Would it mean a lot to her if I was there as well?"

Kara stood from her chair and started to walk over to Lena but stopped when Lena held out her hand not to come any closer...

"Of course it would mean a lot to me. You...mean a lot to me. And you deserve to be recognized for the hero that you are."

"You mean a lot to me too, Kara." Lena's eyes were soft and emotional again. She turned back towards the balcony window. "And that's why I can't go to the ceremony."

Kara took a few steps closer to Lena.

"I don't understand." When Lena didn't respond, Kara gently grabbed her elbow and made Lena turn around to face her. "Lena? What's going on?"

"You mean between us or with the ceremony?" Lena let out a nervous chuckle and couldn't bring herself to make eye contact with Kara. 

"I...well, I..." It seemed Kara was as equally flustered as Lena now. And both women were looking anywhere but at each other. 

Lena let out a frustrated sigh and walked back over to her desk. She pulled open a drawer, grabbed a file folder full of papers, and put it on her desk. She placed her hand on the folder while talking to Kara...

"The reason I decided not to go to the ceremony is due to the threats I've been getting from my mother...from Cadmus." Lena stated calmly.

"What?" Kara whirled around and walked over to Lena's side. "What kind of threats? Why didn't you tell me? ...okay, right, you were mad at me and didn't want to talk to me. But then why didn't you tell the DEO? Have you told the police? Lena?!" It all came out of Kara's mouth in a near panic. 

"I'm dealing with it. I know how to handle my mother."

"Lena! You can't just deal with on your own! You have to let the DEO and the NCPD do their jobs...and that means protecting you from any kind of threat. You...you should have told me!" 

"No...I couldn't." Lena still hadn't looked at Kara. She was pretty sure she'd lose her composure if she did. 

"But why? I don't understand. This doesn't make any sense." 

"It doesn't need to make sense to you, Kara. You just need to forget about it...and me going to the ceremony. I have my security team working on neutralizing the threat, but you don't know my mother...she's brilliant and she covers all her bases...even from prison. I won't take the risk of..." Lena's voice trailed off as she lowered her head somberly.

Kara stepped in closer to Lena and laid her hand stop her shoulder.

"You won't risk what? Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it. You've gotta just let me know what we're dealing with here...all of it. No secrets. No trying to save the world all on your own. You've already saved the world once. I'd say you've met your lifetime quota." Kara chuckled at her own joke hoping to lighten the mood. But Lena didn't respond or even look up at her. "Lena? Tell me what it is. Please?"

Lena slowly looked up at Kara...into those pleadingly beautiful blue eyes. She felt her own eyes get a bit watery. Her voice wavered a bit as she responded...

"It's you. She's threatened to destroy you...permanently."

Kara didn't flinch. She'd pretty much seen that coming already. 

"But it could also destroy you if you don't go to the ceremony." Kara replied with conviction. 

"Kara, I don't care about some silly medal...I-"

"No, it's not about the medal, it's about the symbolism of it all. Think about it...going to that ceremony and being given an award as a city hero...it will finally give LCorp the validation of being on the side of good. You wouldn't have to continually be proving yourself to National City. Lillian knows that. So how can she get to you? By making threats so you don't show up. Because not showing up would be like giving a slap in the face to the city you helped save. They'd all assume the CEO, a Luthor, thinks she's too high and mighty to receive a reward from the citizens. And before you know it, your stocks are dropping, investors are pulling out, and your company is failing." Kara grabs Lena's hand and gives the CEO a determined look. "You can't let you mother take away everything you've worked so hard to accomplish. I won't allow it."

Lena smiled sadly at Kara. She really did have the heart of a superhero. 

"Kara, trust me, I know it's my mother's intention to see my demise as CEO as retribution for betraying her. But I'd rather take the chance of committing career suicide if it means you are safe and unharmed." 

"Lena-"

"No. I mean it. Okay?" 

Kara felt herself leaning closer into Lena...so close that she could feel her breath tickle her lips...

"Okay." Kara replied softly.

Lena's hand slowly reached up to cup Kara's cheek. She gently grazed her her thumb along Kara's lips as she leaned in closer. Kara felt both of their heart rates increase significantly. She closed her eyes and brought her hand up to Lena's shoulder just as...

The phone on Lena's desk gave off a shrill ring. Both women jumped at the noise. Lena quickly reached for the phone, not taking her intense eyes off of Kara. 

"Yes?" Lena answered in a slightly raspy voice. She took in a few deep breaths to help calm her unsteady heartbeat as she listened to whomever was on the other end of the phonecall. "It's fine. Please escort her up to my office." Lena hung up the phone. She looked down at her hand, realizing it was still holding on to Kara's. She gave Kara's hand a careful caress with her thumb before letting go. "Your sister's here. I'm thinking you should have taken her call earlier." 

"What? She's here? Now?!"

"Seems that way."

"Oh, Rao!" 

Kara plopped herself down into Lena's desk chair with an exasperated sigh...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...oops...did I do that? Damn that Supercorp angst! ;)


	11. Misconceptions and Complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara, Lena, and Alex...together in the same room. What could go wrong? Maybe nothing...maybe everything? Maybe there's some more angst? ;)

Lena quickly put away the file folder she'd gotten out earlier. She closed up her laptop before looking over at Kara...who was still sitting in Lena's chair...frown on her face.

"Kara, you should probably..." Lena gave a slight nod of her head over to the chair on the other side of her desk.

"Oh! Right!." Kara promptly stood and headed over to the other side of Lena's desk, grabbing her notebook and pen. She looked at Lena, wondering if she was as disappointed as Kara was that they had been interrupted. But Lena's face was unreadable. If the CEO was feeling just as frustrated as Kara was, she wasn't showing it. 

Lena sat down in her chair. She could feel Kara's eyes on her, but she didn't look up at her. Who knows what Supergirl's sister wanted...especially since she'd come all the way to LCorp to track Kara down. What Lena did know was that she needed to get into her hardened CEO mode before Alex arrived. So that's what she did. On the outside, she looked composed and calm. But on the inside, the powerful CEO was an emotional mess. She and Kara had almost kissed. The notion made her head spin and her stomach swirl with the thought of Kara's lips on hers...

"Lena?" Kara had noticed that Lena looked uncharacteristically distracted. 

Lena realized that she'd been absentmindedly fiddling with her pen while she was lost in thought. She sat it down, cleared her throat, hoping that it would compose her a little better, and then looked up at Kara. The blonde was also fidgeting with her pen. Lena reached across her desk and put her hand atop Kara's to still her nervous movements. She gave her a reassuring smile, which Kara returned. They both knew there was still that huge elephant in the room between them...unsaid feelings and emotions. But that was going to have to wait until another time.

Kara let her hand fall away from Lena's before she spoke...

"You need to tell Alex everything you know about your mother's threats. If there's a way to stop her-"

"No." Lena stated firmly. 

"She's gonna want to know why you won't come to the ceremony. You don't know my sister. She can be very...persistent."

Lena walked around her desk, stepping face to face with Kara.

"So can I." Lena's face was hard with determination. 

Kara gave Lena a stern look. Lena matched it. Neither woman was going to give in any time soon...that much was evident.

"Does your sister know about us?" Lena asked, eyes locked on Kara's.

"I-well, no. I mean she knows that...well she knows that I..."

Lena steps in closer, making Kara let out something between a whimper and a sigh as Lena's intoxicating lips are mere inches from hers. 

"Does she know I was angry with you?" Lena asked, her intense green eyes making Kara's insides turn to mush. 

Kara could only manage a slight nod. Lena leaned in until her lips were at Kara's ear...

"Then that's how it stays. You'll need to trust me." She whispered into Kara's ear.

"W-what? No! You can't-"

There was a loud knock at the door. Lena made her way over to it. She looked back at a very flustered Kara, who looked like she'd been punched square in the heart. It pained Lena to see Kara so confused and hurt, but that's how it had to be for the time being. Plus it would look more convincing to Alex when Lena had to explain that she wouldn't go to the ceremony because she didn't want to be around Supergirl. Lena gathered her composure and opened the door. 

Alex stormed inside Lena's office, but stopped midway between where Kara was standing by the desk and Lena was standing by the door. She sensed something was off, but couldn't quite deduce what it was. Lena thanked her security guard before shutting the door. She turned to see Alex studying her sister, who was standing with her arms crossed on her chest, her face a mixture of anger and sadness. It was Lena who broke the silence as she approached Alex.

"Ms. Danvers, I presume. I don't believe we've been officially introduced. I'm Lena Luthor."

Alex studied Kara a moment longer before turning to take Lena's outstretched hand. As she shook Lena's hand, she couldn't help the nagging feeling that there was some serious tension in the room...

"Agent Danvers...or just Alex. Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Luthor."

"Please...call me Lena." Lena walked past Alex and headed for her desk. "Was there something you needed, Agent Danvers? Kara was just finishing up her interview and I have some business to attend to, if you don't mind."

Alex looked over at Kara, who still hadn't acknowledged her arrival. She seemed lost in her thoughts...very lost...with a big frown on her face. 

"Kara?" Alex stepped in closer to her sister and gently grasped her shoulder, suddenly shaking her out of her thoughts.

"Hmmmm? Oh...yeah, I finished the interview and I..." Kara grabbed Alex's arms and looked down at her sister's watch. "Oh geez...I have to get this article to Snapper within the hour. So I better get going..."

"Interview? About the Mayor's award ceremony?" Alex inquired, giving Kara a hard, knowing look.

"Well...I-"

"Wasn't it Supergirl that was tasked with convincing me to attend the ceremony?" Lena asked matter-of-factly.

Both Kara and Alex's head snapped towards Lena. Both looked just a bit on the shocked side. After the shock wore off for Alex, the anger set in. She looked back at Kara.

"You told her? Kara that's not how it was supposed to go down. Supergirl was supposed to pay her a visit...not...not Kara Danvers!"

"Ah, but see...they're one and the same. So if you ladies wouldn't mind...Kara, I do believe you have a deadline to meet or you're fired. And Agent Danvers...as I told Director Henshaw in the correspondence I sent to him...I won't be attending the ceremony." 

"Lena..." Kara's eyes met Lena's. Blue was pleading with green. "Don't do this." 

The silence in the room was heavy. Kara could feel the start of tears forming in her eyes, but she didn't waver. And neither did Lena. Although she was pretty much falling apart on the inside, the CEO kept her cool, her signature intense gaze locked on Kara's. And Alex definitely didn't miss the moment passing between the two women. They didn't have to say anything. It was all written their on their faces...and in the depths of their eyes. 

"You need to go, Kara." Lena said, her voice was strong...but barely. 

"No. We can figure this out. All of us...together." Kara replied, eyes still locked Lena's. "You're not going to do this alone."

"Do what alone, Kara?" Alex interrupted. "You need to fill me in here. Exactly what is going on?" When Kara didn't reply, Alex turned to Lena. "Are you going to the ceremony or not?"

-"No. I'm not."  
-"Yes. She is."

Kara and Lena answered Alex at the same time. Alex watched her sister and the CEO as their eyes never left each others...

"I don't need Supergirl or an award to validate what I've accomplished." Lena started.

"What you need is to stop being so stubborn that you won't accept help." Kara countered.

"I didn't need Supergirl's help when I stopped my mother from obliterating the alien population. And I don't need it now."

Lena's words stung Kara. Both Lena and Alex could see it in the way Kara's posture faltered ever so slightly. But Lena also felt it, because her heart seemed as though it were breaking into a million pieces at the way those warm, soulful blue eyes left hers...making her feel suddenly cold and empty. 

Kara's phone rang, but she didn't seem to notice. Alex walked over and grabbed the phone.

"It's Snapper. Do you need to take it?"

Kara closed her eyes shut for a brief moment before letting out a sigh. When she opened her eyes back up, she gave one last glance at Lena. The CEO looked as stoic as usual...as beautiful as usual. But what was she truly feeling? Her phone kept ringing, forcing Kara to finally look away from Lena. 

"Kara?" Alex asked, now pretty concerned for her sister. 

"Umm...yeah. Yes, I need to take this. I can't miss my deadline. I'll see you later?" Kare quickly grabbed her things.

"Of course. I'll call you when I'm done here."

Kara didn't look back at Lena this time. She went straight to the door and left.

Alex watched her sister leave before turning back around to face Lena. The CEO had her back to Alex now as she stared out at the National City skyline. Now it was time to go into big sister mode. Alex marched over to Lena, grabbed the CEO's arm and turned Lena to face her...

"Okay spill it, Luthor. What's really going on here? And don't even think of telling me anything less than the truth. Because so help me, I'll-"

"I love her." Lena said firmly, but her eyes were filled with unshed tears.

Of all the things Alex had been suspecting of Lena Luthor...that response definitely hadn't been one of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh the angst. Don't hate me too much. Supercorp will find their way...eventually. ;)


	12. In Defense of a Sister

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I thought I'd put out another chapter after watching episode 2x9 and not getting any Supercorp time. What's up with that? Is Lena really not going to get any acknowledgement for saving the entire alien race on Earth? And are we really going to have to endure a Kara/Mon-El pairing? Ugh. Thank goodness for the fanfiction! 
> 
> ...at least we got some Sanvers. I don't think it gets any more adorable than those two, am I right! :D
> 
> Anyway, in this chapter: Alex and Lena have a chat about all things Kara. Or more like...Alex does the chatting and Lena does the listening. ;)

Alex studied Lena's face. The DEO agent was an expert at determining if someone was lying based on observing facial expressions and body language. Of course it was usually hostile aliens or rogue human criminals she used her tactics on. But the woman standing in front of her was neither of those. She was Lena Luthor, CEO of LCorp...sister to Lex Luthor and daughter to Lillian Luthor. And while the odds didn't seem to be in Lena's favor as far as Alex was concerned, all of her previous notions about this particular Luthor changed the second she saw a tear escape from Lena's watery green eyes. 

Alex wasn't exactly being subtle. And Lena knew she was sizing her up...trying to figure out if she was just another Luthor. She didn't regret confessing her feelings for Kara in front of her sister. At least now she'd said it out loud. She'd kept strong and held the tears back. But while Agent Danvers had been silently interrogating her with her hardened glare, Lena couldn't help but think of Kara and how crushed she'd looked before leaving Lena's office. That made one pesky tear slip from the corner of her eye and run down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away and then broke Alex's stare by looking back out to the city skyline. 

Little did Lena know that a single tear would be the deciding factor that made Alex finalize her character assessment of Lena Luthor...

"I hope you understand the magnitude of what you just said." Alex's hands went to her hips. She may have accepted Lena's confession of love for Kara, but she was definitely still in defensive sister mode. 

Lena gave her cheeks a quick wipe with her hand to make sure no more renegade tears had escaped. She took in a short breath and let it out, composing herself before turning to face Alex.

"I'm not the kind of woman who takes things lightly, Agent Danvers." Lena walked over to her desk and leaned against it for support.

"So I'd gather there's another reason you refuse to attend the Mayor's ceremony...seeing as how...you don't take things lightly."

Lena didn't respond, giving Alex the go ahead to assume she was right. 

"If there's a threat to your life...or to Supergirl's life. I need to know about it."

"I'm handling it, Agent Danvers." Lena rubbed her eyes, hoping it would rub away the pain, fear, frustration...everything she was currently feeling whirling around in her head and heart. 

"Right. Like you're handling your feelings for my sister? It doesn't seem to be working for you...this whole...handling thing."

"You don't understand. I-"

"Oh, I understand fully, Ms. Luthor." 

Lena cringed internally at the sound of Alex calling her Ms. Luthor. But she kept it together on the outside. Now was not the time to show the DEO agent any weakness...especially when she knew where the conversation was headed.

"You are in love with my sister." Alex watched as Lena looked up and into her eyes. But before Lena could answer, she continued... "It's not a question. It's a statement. I could feel it between the two of you when I walked in the door. I just didn't realize what it was at first."

"Look, Agent Danvers. Before this turns into an interrogation, I-"

Alex took a step closer to Lena, giving the CEO her "I'm a badass DEO agent, don't fuck with me" look.

"Trust me, if this were an interrogation, I'd would have already hauled your ass down to the DEO and made sure you knew what a real interrogation by me looks like."

"Agent Danvers. I don't find this is necessary-"

"You are in love with my sister." 

Lena let out a sigh. At least know she knew where Kara got her stubbornness from. And Kara hadn't been kidding...Alex was definitely persistent. 

"Yes. I'm in love with your sister." 

Alex studied Lena's face briefly before continuing. 

"Then I'll ask you again. Do you understand the magnitude of what that means."

"You're talking about Supergirl." Lena kept her eyes locked on Alex's. She wanted to make sure the DEO agent knew she also meant business when it came to Kara.

"That's one aspect of it."

"I fell for her before I knew she was Supergirl."

"Elaborate." Oh yeah...Alex also meant business when it came to Kara. And the look she gave Lena said that loud and clear. 

"I can't really elaborate on something I don't fully understand myself. All I can tell you, Agent Danvers, is that somewhere along the way between interviews and chats and an insane amount of potstickers...something shifted, and I..." Lena's voice trailed off as she got lost in thought thinking about how her feelings for Kara was gradually grown from friendship to love.

Alex understood Lena all too well. It sounded like the same thing that had happened to her and Maggie. Somewhere over dead bodies, pool games, and beer...they too had gone from friendship to love. There was only one difference...Alex wasn't a superhero. But her sister was. And she needed to make sure she was protected at all costs. 

"She does consume an unGodly amount of potstickers." Alex gave Lena a small smile, which Lena returned. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're in love with a Super."

Here it comes...Lena thought to herself. Another jab and judgement at her family name. She waited for the Luthor condemnation, but it didn't come.

"I'm not talking Luthor versus Super here. I don't want you to think that. You've gone well out of your way to prove you're nothing like your mother or brother. What I am talking about...is my sister's heart. Kara has..." Alex paused for a moment to get her bearings. The last thing she wanted to do was to let Lena know how emotional she could get when it came to her baby sister. "She has an enormous heart. One that she wears on her sleeve. It's pure and it's beautiful and when she loves, it's with every ounce of her being. Being loved by Kara...it-it's like feeling this amazing, all-encompassing love that wraps you up and holds you safe and sound. Because you know that she'll protect you with the ferociousness of a Super, but cherish you with the gentleness of a Danvers. And I'm telling you this...because...well...if you break her heart, let's just say not only do I know various untraceable alien ways to kill a person, but my girlfriend is also an NCPD detective who can help me hide the body." 

Lena was highly amused. She would have grinned but didn't want Alex to feel like her speech had been a source of amusement to the CEO. On the contrary, she now had a newfound respect for Kara's sister. It seemed both Danvers sisters were pretty damn amazing. Lex had been like that once...protective of Lena and ready to stand up to anyone or anything that may want to cause her harm. She was glad that Kara had Alex. Lena was brought back to reality by Alex clearing her throat. She looked over at the DEO agent with intense sincerity. 

"Kara is extremely lucky to have you for a sister. And I mean that with the utmost sincerity. I don't want to hurt Kara in any way. I do hope you can trust in that." 

Alex thought on that for a moment. She never thought she'd be where she was right now...with a Luthor asking her to trust that she meant no harm to her sister, a Super. 

"But you did hurt her...earlier when you wouldn't accept her help."

Lena's eyes fell from Alex's hardened stare. She knew she'd hurt Kara. She hadn't meant to. But it had been to protect her. 

"I needed to protect her."

"From what, Lena?" 

When Lena didn't respond, Alex tried a different approach.

"You love her. You want to protect her."

Lena merely nodded.

"Then you tell me what we're up against, and we'll protect her together." 

Lena thought on that for a moment. Then she opened her desk drawer, pulled out the file folder, and plopped it down on the desk. 

"We're up against my mother." Lena replied, hoping that she hadn't just made a big mistake that could cost them all their lives.


	13. Lessons in Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara realizes what her feelings for Lena really are and seeks out Maggie for advice. 
> 
> ...this is a lead in to the next chapter which will be a suggestion from a reader who commented that Lena should have someone give "the talk" to Kara since Lena had to have "the talk" from Alex. And I agree! Lena deserves someone to lookout for her too! <3

She'd been out flying in the night sky for over an hour now. There was something about flying that made Kara feel relaxed and peaceful...like a Kryptonian version of yoga. The feeling of the fresh air on her skin as she soared high above the clouds...it was a rush like no other. But it was also a way for her to gather her thoughts in silence, far away from the noise of National City. It was a time where she could deal with the sounds of her own mind instead of the jumble of voices from the citizens below her. And Kara's mind was keeping her plenty busy tonight amongst the clouds and stars.

She'd managed to get the Cadmus piece finished and on Snapper's desk with five minutes to spare. Her grouchy boss hadn't even looked up at her as he grabbed the article and started to look over it. He did, however, allow a very subtle-if you blinked you'd miss it- grin of satisfaction before telling her that it was about time she'd turned in something lead worthy. That's right...Kara Danvers' interview with Lena was going to be the lead-in story for the entire Cadmus piece. Her first thought...after letting out an excited yelp of joy after outside the CatCo building, was to go see Lena. After all, the CEO was the one who not only single-handedly saved her job, but was the inspiration behind her successful article. 

Kara wanted to call Lena and go celebrate. But then in her moment of internal celebration, she then remembered how she and Lena had left things earlier that evening. Just when Kara had thought she and Lena had been gaining a bit more...certainty about things between them, she'd left the CEO's office now even more uncertain. Not only that, she'd left Lena with Alex...her overprotective DEO agent sister who knew how Kara felt about Lena. Oh geez...what had she done? Why hadn't she just insisted on staying there? Now she was freaking out over what Alex could be saying to Lena. And she was freaking out over what Lena could be saying to Alex. Really, in general, Kara was just freaking out...

So that's why she found herself flying high over National City. She'd hoped it would help clear her head from all the...freaking out. A part of her wanted to fly to LCorp to see Lena. But if Alex was still there, that probably wouldn't be a good idea. And even if Alex had left already, maybe it still wouldn't be a good idea. Kara was still a bit confused over what had happened. And although Lena had said she needed to trust her, Kara wasn't exactly sure what she meant. She did trust Lena. She just wished Lena trusted her in return. Trusted her to protect her...to take care of her...to love her...

Kara suddenly stopped mid-flight, hovering above the the city. Love? Where had that come from? She'd only just recently come to terms with having feelings towards Lena. And she still hadn't been able to talk to Lena about those feelings. Sure, they'd almost kissed...twice now. But that didn't mean... What did it mean? What did any of it mean? All Kara knew was that the first person to pop into her head when she wanted to share the good news about her article...was Lena. Usually, it would have been Alex. So what did that mean? Well, it meant that she really needed to have her feelings sorted out before she saw Lena again. She needed some advice. And she knew just the place...

******************************************

Kara changed back into her work clothes in a nearby alley and headed down the block to the "National City Bar and Grill." She'd already stopped by the alien bar looking for Maggie, but didn't have any luck. Usually if she couldn't be found there, and wasn't with Alex, the detective liked to wind down with a few beers with her fellow cops at the city's most popular bar. Sure enough, when Kara stepped inside, she immediately spotted Maggie at the bar chatting with a few other officers. 

As Kara headed for the bar, Maggie spotted her and gave her a wave and a dimpled smile. 

"Little Danvers! Hey!" 

Kara smiled back as she stepped beside Maggie.

"You want a beer?" Maggie asked as she motioned to the bartender.

"Hmmmm? Oh, yeah sure." 

Maggie studied Kara's face for a moment. The usually sunny and smiling girl was frowning and seemed lost in thought. 

"What are you doing here? Alex said earlier you had some sort of big deadline to meet. Did everything go okay?"

The bartender returned with two beers. Maggie grabbed one and handed it to Kara. Kara took it, but barely even registered that she was holding the bottle. 

"Earth to Danvers!"

Kara snapped out of her thoughts and focused in on Maggie's concerned look. 

"Yeah. I mean...yes! Everything went okay. Snapper is giving my article the lead actually."

"That's great, Kara! We should celebrate! Have you told Alex?"

"No-ummmm...not yet. Have you talked to her recently?"

"She texted me about an hour ago saying she was busy working on something at...LCorp."

"LCorp?"

"Yeah, why?"

Kara shrugged her shoulders, trying to deflect all of the thoughts that would most likely pop into her head knowing that Alex was still at LCorp...still with Lena. Why would she still be there? What could Alex and Lena possibly have to talk about for this long?

"Okay, what's up? You're acting...strange."

"I don't know." Kara paused and looked down at the beer in her hand. How had that gotten there? Oh right, Maggie had given it to her. Okay, maybe something was up. "Ummm...can I talk to you?"

"Sure, Lil' Danvers. Let's go sit in that booth over in the corner." 

Maggie pointed over to the booth and led the way. Once they were seated, Kara started picking at the label on her beer bottle. Maggie gently grabbed Kara's hand to stop her. Kara let out a frustrated sigh before finally looking at her sister's girlfriend. There was something warm and comforting about Maggie, even though Kara knew she was a tough as they came, badass cop. As much as Maggie would deny it, she did have a soft side. There was no wonder why Alex had fallen in love with her. Love...there was that darn four letter word again.

"It's okay, Kara. You can talk to me." Maggie gave her a reassuring smile. 

"I think-" Kara stopped, trying to figure out what to say when she was still wrestling with the notion of... "Love." She paused again, realizing she wasn't making any sense. "There's...she's...that is, I almost...we almost." Kara let out a huge huff at her inability to put together a coherent sentence. 

"Take it easy there, Danvers. Breathe." Maggie placed her hand on Kara's back as Kara took in a deep breath.

Kara gained a minimal amount of composure, looked back at Maggie, and tried again.

"I'm in love with Lena." It came out rushed but coherent and Kara felt a sense of relief rush out of her.

"Of course you are. So what's the problem?"

"I...what? What do you mean, of course I am?"

Maggie chuckled at how adorable Kara was in the moment.

"You sent the lady flowers, Danvers."

"S-so? Friends can send each other flowers!"

"Ones that you had to literally fly out of the state to get?" Maggie raises an eyebrow accusingly but playfully at Kara with a sly grin. 

"But they're her favorite. I'd do the same for you."

"I'm not a flowers kind of girl. But that's sweet of you...platonic, but sweet." Maggie winked a Kara.

"See...platonic! You said platonic. So that could have also meant the flowers for Lena were platonic." 

"But they weren't. Not to mention, you really aren't good at maintaining your composure when Lena's name is brought up."

"What? But I-"

"Look, Kara, it doesn't matter how I figured it out. The point is that you figured it out. And now...you're what...scared?"

Kara gave Maggie a slight nod.

"Welcome to the club, Danvers."

"Why? What are you scared of? You and Alex are great, right? I mean...right?" 

"Of course. Alex is an amazing woman. And the things I feel for her...they're stronger than anything I've ever felt for anyone else."

"Well, I'm pretty sure she feels the same way!" Kara said excitedly. 

Maggie gave Kara a huge, dimple-filled smile before taking a sip of her beer. 

"Doesn't mean I still don't get scared."

Kara's forehead crinkle popped up as she frowned at Maggie's response. 

"I'm not sure I'm the best person to be talking to you about this. I've never been the go to girl for advice, ya know?"

"What do you get scared about?" Kara asked, looking back at Maggie. 

"Everything. Nothing. I think it just comes with being in love. It's all a part of the territory."

"Pffffft...territory. I don't even know where the territory is anymore." Kara let out a huff and took a swig of her beer.

"So I take it you and Lena haven't really talked about your feelings."

"I mean, we've tried...I think."

Maggie cocked her head at Kara.

"You think? You've gotta give me more than that." 

"Ugggggh! I don't know. I just came to the whole love realization like a half hour ago. It's new. I need time to process..."

"I hate to break it to ya, Danvers, but there's really nothing more to process. You've already admitted you're in love with her. I'd stay step one has long passed."

"Steps? There are steps? What steps?" Kara took another huge gulp of beer. This was getting way to complicated for the Kryptonian. 

Maggie let out a small chuckle. Because again...Kara was just too damn adorable. 

"Step one: Admit your feelings. Step two: Either tell the girl or pine over her incessantly from a distance wondering if she feels the same way."

"I don't like your steps." Kara replied with a pout. 

"Hey, I don't make the steps. They just...are." Maggie finished her beer and motioned to the bartender to bring over two more. 

"So I should tell her." It was a statement, not a question for Maggie.

"I'd go for it if I were you. I mean who could resist the adorable puppy that is Kara Danvers." 

"I'm not adorable!" Kara exclaimed.

"You kinda are." Maggie retorted with her signature grin.

Kara's felt her blushing cheeks heat up. Maggie laughed lightly as she looked over at the bar, wondering where their beers were. She noticed a striking, socialite looking brunette looking their way. 

"Wonder who that is? Haven't seen her in here before." Maggie's detective instincts were kicking in. "And you've seemed to capture her attention."

Kara followed Maggie's eyes over to the bar to see Vanessa Keller, the woman she'd met in Lena's office earlier that day. 

"She's a friend of Lena's. But...what's she doing here?"

"Looks like we're about to find out." Maggie responded as the dark-haired woman started walking their way...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The world needs more Kara/Maggie scenes...don't you think? ;) Stay tuned for Kara getting "the talk" next...


	14. Of Talks and Heart Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vanessa gives Kara "the talk" and Maggie has clue her in as to what it all means.

Kara and Maggie watched with curiosity as Vanessa made her way over to the table. Her stride was full of confident elegance. Her slicked back power bun hairstyle, striking yet subtle makeup, and impeccable taste in fashion reminded Kara of Lena. Her super-hearing tuned into the powerful click of Vanessa's killer red heels until the sound stopped, and Kara looked up to see the woman standing in front of her. Maggie gave Kara a slight nudge, prompting her to stand. She nervously pushed up her glasses and greeted Vanessa with a smile. 

"Ms. Keller! Hi!" Kara said a little too enthusiastically. 

"Good evening, Kara. And please, it's Vanessa." She looked over at Maggie, raising a curious eyebrow at the detective.

"Oh! Gosh, I'm sorry. This is Maggie." 

Maggie gave Vanessa a polite smile and reached out her hand to greet Vanessa.

"Detective Maggie Sawyer." Maggie said, with an emphasis on the detective part. She was still trying to size up the newcomer. 

Vanessa took the detective's hand in hers and gave it a courteous shake. After the handshake ended, a waiter brought over two beers and a martini. Vanessa grabbed the martini and took a sip before motioning to the open space beside Kara.

"Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Oh! Oh sure...I mean of course not!" Kara replied and scooted over to make room in the U-shaped booth. 

Vanessa sat down and studied the two women before her. 

"That is unless...I'm interrupting something? I wouldn't want to intrude upon your...date?" 

"What" Kara let out a nervous chuckle. "Oh no, no...no. We're not-I mean, Maggie isn't-"

"I'm her sister's girlfriend actually." Maggie responded, giving a quizzical look at Kara for her suddenly flustered behavior. 

"Yes! Alex...that's my sister. And...Maggie's girlfriend. She had to work late tonight...I mean my sister. And so Maggie and I were just hanging out." 

Vanessa gave Kara an approving grin and a slight nod as she took another sip of her martini. There was a few moments of awkward silence before Maggie gave Kara another slight nudge under the table. 

"Ummm...so, Ms. Kel-Vanessa...what brings you to National City? How long will you be staying? Did you come for business or maybe to see...Lena? Kara asked quickly.

"Why would she be here to see Lena?"

This time Kara gave Maggie a nunge in the side with her elbow. But Maggie was a detective. And asking questions was what she did best. So Kara's attempt to stop her didn't deter the detective from continuing.

"Unless maybe you and Lena are...together? Why else would you come all the way to National City from...where?"

"Switzerland." Vanessa replied with a sly grin.

"Right. Switzerland. So you and Luthor?"

"Maggie! Stop! She's here for business. LCorp has a lot of international clients. Plus, she and Lena aren't together anymore-"

Kara quickly put her hands over her mouth. Had she seriously just let it slip that she knew Vanessa and Lena were exes? The look at Maggie's shocked face and the growing grin on Vanessa's confirmed that yes indeed, she'd blurted that out. 

"Well...this just got interesting." Maggie commented as she looked from Kara to Vanessa and then back to Kara.

"It was a long time ago. But we're still very dear friends. Which is why I wanted to come talk whenever I spotted you over here, Kara."

Kara sat up straight grabbed her beer. She started picking at the label while she looked at Vanessa.

"Me? What-why would you want to talk to me?" Kara lifted the beer to her lips and began to take a sip.

"To inquire as to what your intentions are with Lena."

Kara nearly choked on the beer, letting a few sputtering coughs escape. Maggie patted her back to try to help calm her. Kara composed herself before addressing Vanessa.

"Intentions? I-what intentions?" Kara laughed nervously then fiddled with her glasses as she squirmed a bit in the booth. 

Maggie's face turned into an amused, dimpled grin as she watched Kara turn into a nervous wreck. She knew where this was going. Kara was about to get "the talk" from Lena's friend. And Maggie couldn't wait to see how Kara was going to react to it. Maggie sat back in the booth, grabbed her beer, and waited for the fun to begin.

"Surely you're not going to deny that you have feelings for Lena?" Vanessa took a sip of her martini before grabbing the olive stick out of it. She studied Kara's face intensely before plucking an olive into her mouth with her lips. 

"I...well." Kara cleared her throat, trying to make sense of what was happening. "She...did she tell you...something? Because we...I." Kara let out a sigh. This wasn't going well. Not at all.

"Relax, Kara dear. Of course she didn't say anything to me...not in so many words. Or really any words technically. But I've known Lena for a very long time. And I know when  
she's into someone." Vanessa drained the last of her martini and signaled to the bartender for another before continuing. "Plus when you came barging into her office this morning there was enough awkward sexual tension between the two of you to make a seasoned women like me blush. It would be obvious to anyone with eyes really...except maybe to the two of you, who keep dancing around it like it's some sort of...forbidden thing."

Kara didn't even know where to begin with a response. She looked over at Maggie for support, but the detective simply shrugged her shoulders and sipped on her beer. So Kara's eyes turned to meet Vanessa's again.

"It's not...I don't think it's forbidden." Kara let out a frustrated sigh. "I think it's...wonderful. Lena's wonderful. I just...we haven't had a chance to...talk about it. Things keep happening. There are...factors you aren't aware of. But it doesn't mean that I don't want...her. Because I do, I just..." Kara's voice trailed off as she tried to find the right words to express her feelings to someone who was essentially a complete stranger to her. Words that she hadn't even been able to say to Lena herself yet. 

Vanessa watched the blonde struggle in front of her. She could see that Kara definitely cared about Lena. But did she care as deeply as she knew Lena cared for Kara? A waiter approached and sat down another martini in front of Vanessa. She looked away from Kara and studied the glass in front of her for a moment before looking at Kara once more. 

"Look, Kara. I don't expect some grand confession of love out of you. That's not why I'm here. What I do expect is for you to listen to what I have to say and take it to heart."

Kara nodded slightly at Vanessa, her blue eyes intently fixed upon the women in front of her. 

"Lena doesn't have a lot of friends. And after Lex and her mother...well, there's not exactly any family either."

"Yeah, I know." Kara replied softly. "She once told me I was her only friend in National City. I thought she was exaggerating possibly, but-"

"She wasn't."

Kara gave Vanessa an understanding but sad nod. 

"She puts up a good front. She's a Luthor, she has to. It's been ingrained in her every since the Luthors took her in. Even in high school, she never really had a lot of friends. And I'm not telling you this to feel sorry for her..."

"Of course not, I would never-" Kara spoke up.

"I'm telling you this so that you understand something." Vanessa paused, looking lost in thought for a moment. 

"What do I need to understand?" Kara asked.

Vanessa took a long sip of her martini before continuing...

"Lena is an amazing woman. I mean think about it...she does it all. She runs a multi-million dollar company all while fighting to clear her name and make sure members of her own family are brought to justice for their wrongdoings. She's a damn genius on top of all that. And let's be honest...she's hot as hell."

Vanessa and Maggie both grin upon seeing Kara's cheeks flush bright red at Vanessa's last comment. 

"I'd have to agree with Ms. Keller here, Danvers." Maggie raises her beer up in a cheers towards Vanessa. Vanessa returns it with her martini glass before taking a sip. 

"You're taking her side?" Kara asked incredulously. 

"I must say, you are quite an adorable one when you're flustered." Vanessa commented towards Kara.

Maggie couldn't help but laugh, and Kara's face turned another shade redder. 

"Why does everyone think I'm adorable?" Kara huffed.

"What's true is true, right, Ms. Keller?" Maggie responded through chuckles. 

"Indeed." Vanessa quipped. "But..." She turned to Kara, her eyes serious and intense. "I'm going to tell you this only once. I don't care how adorable you are. If you hurt Lena in any way, if you break her heart...there will be hell to pay. She may be a badass businesswoman with a steely exterior. But she has a really good heart...a good but fragile heart. And I'm sure I helped contribute to that fragility with how we ended things. But she's built herself back up along the way....stronger and more resilient than any woman should have to be. So I'm warning you, Ms. Danvers, you either give her the love she deserves...entirely, or you walk away. Do you understand?"

Kara's mouth was open in surprise. She gave Vanessa a steady nod before she could finally form the words for a response...

"Y-yes, of course I understand."

Vanessa gave Kara a satisfied grin before finishing off her martini. 

"Good. I'm glad. Now if you'll excuse me...I just saw the woman I'm meeting here tonight walk in the door."

Vanessa stood and walked off towards the bar. Kara watched her go before turning back around to Maggie's knowing grin. Kara's brows furrowed, making Maggie chuckle.

"What's so funny?"

"You just got the talk." Maggie replied, still highly amused at Kara's frustration.

"What talk? Is it another one of your "steps?" 

"No, Danvers, stick with me here...it was the talk...you know "the talk."

"I still have no idea what you're talking about. All I got from it was that Vanessa is going to inflict bodily harm on me if I hurt Lena somehow...and you're laughing at that?"

Maggie couldn't help but chuckle again. Kara could be so naive sometimes. It was, of course, yet another adorable thing about her. 

"She was protecting her friend...making sure you knew where things stood if you break Lena's heart."

"But we haven't even...uggggggggggh!" Kara let out a huge, frustrated sigh. "Sometimes I just don't get all of these Earthly customs."

"It's okay, lil' Danvers. That's why you've got me." Maggie gave Kara a playful wink.

"Whatever." Kara rolled her eyes. "But...then what does...what does "the talk" even mean?"

"What it means, oh clueless one...is that things between you and Lena are pretty serious...whether the two of you want to admit it or not."

"You got that from everything Vanessa said?" 

"She wouldn't have bothered to track you down and say something if she'd thought you and Lena were just friends. Something must have tipped her off to all of the feelings the two of you have going on." 

"How is that even possible? I met Vanessa for all of thirty seconds in Lena's office before she said she had to go." 

"You were probably giving each other major heart-eyes or something." 

"I...what?! Heart-eyes? That's not even a thing! I don't have-Lena doesn't have...we don't have heart-eyes..." Kara's voice trailed off as she wondered if she and Lena really did look at each other that way. 

"Oh, it was totally the heart-eyes." Maggie responded with another chuckle.

Kara's face slowly changed from a forehead crinkle frown to a small, shy smile. Her smile got a bit wider as she looked over at Maggie, who had an all out dimpled grin across her face. 

"I just got the talk." Kara said proudly. 

"Congratulations." Maggie replied as she held up her beer bottle in front of Kara. "To heart-eyes."

Kara held up her bottle and clinked it against Maggie's as she laughed.

"To heart-eyes." Kara replied with a smile.

Kara and Maggie took sips of their beers. Maggie's phone rang from the pocket of her leather jacket. 

"Sawyer." She answered as excused herself from the table and went outside to take the call.

Kara took another sip of beer and allowed herself to get lost in thought. Thoughts of heart-eyes...love...and Lena. And for a moment, she forgot about all of the odds that were stacked up against them. She forgot about the fact that she was a Super and Lena was a Luthor. She forgot about the threat of Cadmus and that their lives were in danger. Instead thoughts of a certain pair of beautiful green eyes and the woman those eyes belonged to occupied her mind. Then she wondered if it were possible to have heart-eyes even in her thoughts. She'd definitely have to ask Maggie about that later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just can't get over Kara discovering the meaning of heart eyes and embracing it...it's too much adorable for me to handle...hehe. ;)


	15. To Scare a Superhero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You know what I love? Little boys who think they can do a better job than the woman who's an actual superhero. It's pathetic." ~Livewire Episode 2x10
> 
> Best. Line. Ever. Now if James "the Guardian" and Mon-El would just go away... But I digress. Kara was so amazing in the episode though. And I'm so glad the writers didn't make her go easy on James and Mon-El. 
> 
> Still no Lena though...so I'm fixing that with another chapter so we can all have our Lena fix. ;) 
> 
> In this chapter:
> 
> Kara's been an idiot and hasn't talked to Lena for nearly a week. Because...superhero stuff, I guess? ;) Alex talks some sense into her and she finally goes to Lena and talks to her...and it's worth it.

It had been nearly a week since that night in the bar where Kara had gotten "the talk" from Vanessa. And much to Kara's disliking, she really hadn't had a chance to see or talk to Lena since that evening in her office. Between her Supergirl duties, the Mayor's upcoming award ceremony, and her workload increasing at CatCo thanks to the huge success of her Cadmus article, Kara barely had time to rest. She did, however, always have time to eat...even if it was an on the go, mid-flight snack on the way to the DEO. 

Kara finished up the last of her container of potstickers as she landed at the DEO. Alex had called her earlier while she was finishing up with a robbery at a jewelry store. She'd been hoping once the scene was secured she could grab some potstickers, head home, and call Lena before finally getting some much needed sleep. But comfy pajamas, hearing Lena's voice, and rest would have to wait. It seemed there was another alien emergency to tend to.

When Kara walked into the DEO, J'onn and Alex were gathered around Winn...all three of them engrossed with whatever was on Winn's computer screen. Alex saw Kara first and walked over to greet her.

"Hey, Supergirl." Alex noticed that her sister looked pretty worn out. "Hey, are you okay? You look...tired." 

"Gee thanks. I'm fine. What did you need me for?"

"We're going over the schematics for the award ceremony this weekend. Ms. Luthor's intel has helped dramatically. And now that she's also agreed to come-"

"Wait...she agreed to go...to the Mayor's ceremony?"

"Uh...yeah? I assumed you knew? Haven't you talked to her since..."

"No." Kara let out a frustrated sigh and she and Alex walked off to the corner of the room to talk. "I just...I haven't had any time. Snapper has me running ragged with interviews and articles. I think I liked it better when he hated me. National City is apparently experiencing a large crime spree, and I've been spending the rest of my time canvassing the areas in and around the award site for potential threats!" 

"Okay...but you know there's this incredible thing called a text message, right? You couldn't have at least texted her to...oh, I don't know...at least say hello and ask how she's doing...or maybe...ask her out on a date"

"Ha! A date? Who has time for that? And I don't even know if she'd want to go out on a date with me at this point. I still don't even know...what we are."

"She would."

Kara crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at her sister. 

"Since when do you know so much about Lena?"

Alex gave Kara a slight grin.

"Since she's been working with the DEO to help make sure Cadmus isn't a threat to the ceremony...and to you."

"Wait, she's been here? You brought her to the DEO? How could you put her in danger like that. You know-"

"Kara, calm down." Alex waited for Kara to settle down before continuing. "Of course I didn't bring her in. And she wouldn't have come anyway. I think her exact words were...and don't think you're bringing me into that secret government agency of yours. It could lead my mother's minions straight to Supergirl. I'll work with you from here, at LCorp on secured networks." 

"Oh...well th-that's good."

"Yeeees. But what's not good is that you haven't even talked to her for like a week! What is that?"

"Uggggggh! Alex! I don't know how to do this. I'm so...out of my element here. And she's so...Lena Luthor."

Alex cocked an eyebrow at Kara and crossed her arms over her chest. 

"I'm not sure I'm following."

"What if I've already messed things up...for a second time? I mean...how do I even juggle a dating life with...everything else? How do you and Maggie do it?"

"We do it with a lot of patience and understanding. Look, Kara, Lena knows that you're Supergirl. And since she knows that, she also knows what she's getting herself into. But until you two talk about it...I mean really talk, you're both going to go crazy thinking about the doubts and the fears."

Kara stood silent for a few moments, taking in what her sister had just said. Alex stepped in closer to Kara and gently rubbed her forearm.

"Listen, why don't you take the rest of the night off. Get some rest...do what you've gotta do. J'onn and I can fill you in on what you missed tomorrow."

"Are you sure?"

Alex nodded and Kara leaned in to give her sister a hug. 

"Thanks, Alex." 

Kara and Alex smiled at each other before Kara turned to walk out of the DEO.

 

*****************************************************

Later, at Lena's office...

*****************************************************

Kara landed on Lena's LCorp office balcony with a thud. She hadn't bothered to change out of her Supergirl suit since she'd wanted to see Lena as quickly as she could fly from the DEO. It would be the first time seeing Lena as Supergirl with Lena knowing she was Kara. And Kara had to admit, she was a little nervous. But the nerves were also from wondering if Lena would be upset with her for not talking to her for so long. Lena's balcony window was closed. Kara figured it was because the evening air was a bit on the chilly side. That's what she figured. What she'd hoped was that it wasn't because Lena didn't want to see her. She saw Lena walk into her office with a stack of papers in her hand. Lena immediately noticed Kara standing out on her balcony. Kara gave Lena a shy smile and a slight wave.

But Lena didn't smile back. Her face was unreadable as she walked to her desk, sat down the papers, and then went to the window. She opened the balcony door and looked over at Kara.

"Hey." Kara said softly.

"Supergirl." Lena stated as she walked past Kara over to the balcony wall.

Well...so much for the hope of her not being upset with me...Kara thought to herself as she walked over to where Lena was standing.

"You're okay, I see." Lena said while keeping her eyes locked out on the city skyline. 

"I-yes, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I wouldn't know. It seems you've been in contact with everyone but me the past week." 

"Oh. Yeah, about that. Look, I'm really sorry. Things have been hectic...crazy really. And I haven't had time to-"

"Return a text?" Lena turned to face Kara. Her green eyes were sullen and concerned. 

"I...what text?"

"I must have sent you at least a dozen texts this last week."

"Oh, Rao." Kara's head fell to her palm as she realized. "I'm sorry, Lena. My phone got destroyed at a bank heist earlier in the week. I've been using a DEO replacement until I can get a new one. So I...didn't get any of your texts."

Lena studied Kara's face for a few moments. Even though her eyes were sad, her face was still neutral. And Kara knew that meant she was most likely more upset than she was letting on. 

"That's your story then?" Lena replied, not impressed. 

Kara could do nothing more than nod her head.

"Well...now that that's settled. Good night, Supergirl. If you'll excuse me, I have some work to finish up." 

Lena walked briskly past Kara, heading for her office. But Kara was too quick and cut her off before she could reach the balcony door. 

"Please...just...can we talk?" 

Lena looked up into those blue, pleading eyes and found her resolved caving ever so slightly.

"Fine." Lena turned and headed back to the balcony wall. She turned to Kara and guestered beside her with her hand. "Talk."

Kara walked over to Lena, but kept enough distance between them. She didn't want risk scaring Lena away with too much closeness too soon. Both women looked out at the glittering skyline. 

"I'm scared." Kara stated.

That definitely wasn't what Lena was expecting to hear. She turned to face Kara.

"What do you have to be scared of, Kara? You're National City's great hero. The girl of steel. What could scare you?" Lena asked inquisitively. 

"You." Kara replied softly. "I'm scared of you."

Lena was going to reply, but nothing came out of her mouth. To say she didn't see that coming was an understatement. She slowly turned back around to face the city. 

"I'm not a threat, Kara. I thought I had already proven that to you." 

"But you are a threat, Lena." Kara watched as Lena closed her eyes and winced at the superhero's words. "You're a threat to my heart. Because...well, I care about you, like...a lot. What you do to my heart...it's scary and wonderful and indescribable all at the same time And I haven't quite figured out what I'm supposed to do about that yet. And for that I apologize. This is all...rather new for me."

Kara reached her hand out to touch the side of Lena's face. As much as Lena wanted to fight it, she leaned into the touch as she opened her eyes and looked up at Kara. 

"It's new for me too, Kara." Lena said, her voice nearly a whisper. 

"Then we can be scared together, okay?"

Lena let out a small, nervous chuckle before she nodded her head at Kara. Kara let her hand drop from Lena's face, and Lena missed the superhero's warm touch instantly. She watched as Kara looked down at the ground and began to fidget with her hands. Lena smiled as she reached out to steady Kara's hands with her own. 

"Kara, what is it?" Lena asked with sincere concern. 

"Well, I...Ummm..."

"Kara?" This time it was Lena who reached her hand up to Kara's face. She lifted her chin so the Kara would look at her. 

"Would you...like to have dinner with me?" 

Lena couldn't help the huge grin that spread across her lips.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

"I...ummm...yes?" Kara muttered nervously.

"Yes? or yes." Lena replied, wanting to make sure Kara was sure of what she'd just said. 

Kara let out an adorable flustered chuckle.

"Yes. I mean yes, I'm asking if you'd like to have dinner with me...a date."

Before Lena could respond, a chilly breeze swept in over the balcony, making Lena hug her arms around her chest and shiver from the cold. Goosebumps formed on her bare arms. Kara immediately unhooked her cape, stepped closer to Lena, and gently draped the cape around her shoulders. Lena looked up at Kara, in awe of the moment. There she was, standing in front of Supergirl, with the hero's cape wrapped around her to keep her warm...and being asked out by her nonetheless. She watched as Kara tried not to appear nervous as she waited for Lena's answer...

"I'd love to go to dinner with you, Ms. Danvers."

Kara's face lit up with excited relief. 

"Yeah?" 

"Yeah." Lena responded with her signature killer smile. 

Kara smiled back. Lena turned back face the city. Kara did the same, and then Lena stepped in closer to Kara's side. She took part of the cape and draped it over Kara's shoulders so that it was covering the both of them. And suddenly Kara didn't feel afraid anymore. She wrapped her arm around Lena's waist and let out an inner sigh as Lena rested her head on Kara's shoulders. They stayed like that for quite some time...looking out over National City, until Lena had to excuse herself to get back to work. They said their goodbyes and Lena headed back inside. As Kara was re-attaching her cape, Lena turned around and gave the superhero a smile and a wave. Kara waved back, a happy grin on her face as well. And as she took off from Lena's balcony, that grin stayed on her face the entire way home. Because...she had a date with Lena Luthor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These two will be the end of me...if Sanvers doesn't get to me first. ;)


	16. At Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter really got out of hand... sorry/not sorry. It's strictly fluff...fluff...and more fluff. Because there's going to be drama and possibly more angst in the coming chapters with the awards ceremony and such (because I'm evil that way) so here I'm giving you the gift of Supercorp fluff...enjoy! ;)

It had been another busy week for Kara. The Cadmus threat on the the Mayor's award ceremony was intensifying. And since it was taking place over the weekend, Supergirl and the DEO were working overtime to make sure the event and its attendees would be safe. For Supergirl, that meant routine patrols around the city, on the lookout for any suspicious activity. For Alex and the DEO, it meant planning counterattack protocols in case the Cadmus threats did turn out to be true. And for Lena it meant exhaustingly long nights at the office running her business and keeping Alex up to date with any intel that came her way...usually in the form of threats.

Kara hadn't seen Lena since earlier that week when she'd landed on her balcony and finally asked her out on a date. Well...she'd seen the CEO, but from afar while out on her patrols. Every time Kara passed by LCorp, she wanted to drop in and say hi to Lena. But each time the CEO either looked busy on a phone call or was busy working away on her laptop. There were times when she wasn't in her office. Those time Kara took the liberty of using her X-ray vision to locate her, usually finding her on another floor of the building in some sort of meeting. Even though she hadn't seen Lena in person all week, unlike last time, she still made sure the CEO knew she was thinking about her. After asking Lena out, Kara had gone immediately the next day to get a new phone. And now...texting Lena had become her new favorite thing.

When Kara arrived at the DEO to check in, it was a little past 8pm. She headed for Alex's lab, where Maggie was waiting on Alex to finish up her work so they could go grab a late dinner. 

"Hey, little Danvers, everything looking good out there tonight?" 

Kara walked over to the empty stool next to where Maggie was sitting and sat down. Alex looked up from her work and greeted her with a smile before looking back down at it.

"Everything seems good so far. The perimeter in and around the ceremony site is still clear of anything...explosive or potentially harmful. And thankfully the NCPD has issued a ton of security all over."

"And we've got plenty of DEO agents stationed with them. So I'm planning on smooth sailing for the ceremony tomorrow." Alex replied as she finished up what she was working on. 

Kara nodded but there was still worry written all over her face. Alex knew that look.

"Everything okay?" Alex asked with concern.

Kara nodded slightly, but Alex wasn't convinced.

"Is there some sort of new intel we should know about? Kara?" Alex walked over to her sister. 

"No, no...nothing like that. I'm just a little...worried still I guess."

Alex walked over to Kara and placed her hands on her sister's shoulder.

"It's gonna be okay. We've got pretty much every scenario covered. Security is going to be beyond tight. Trust in your big sister."

"And your girlfriend." Maggie added with a sly grin.

"S-she's not my girlfriend, Maggie. And what's Lena got to do with it."

Alex went over to Maggie and put her arm around the detective. Kara couldn't help but notice how cute they were together. 

"Well...Lena's intel has been crucial to making sure we keep everyone safe." Maggie responded. 

"Nevermind that." Alex studied her sister's face inquisitively. "Why are you so defensive about calling Lena your girlfriend? 

"Yeah, little Danvers, what gives? I mean surely by now you two have at least..." 

Alex nudges Maggie in the side before she can continue. 

"Are things okay between the two of you?" Alex asked.

"Y-yeah, fine. It's just...we haven't had much of a chance to spend any time together with everything that's been going on. So I mean...how can I call her my girlfriend yet when I only just recently asked her out on a date?"

"Wait...what? Maggie exclaimed. "You finally asked her out? When did this happen? I need details." Maggie turned to Alex and gave her a playful push. "Why didn't you tell me she finally asked out her non-girlfriend?" 

Alex just shrugged, and Maggie looked back at Kara with a smile. 

"Way to go, little Danvers." 

That got a slight grin out of Kara. 

"So...you have anything planned yet...for the date?" Alex inquired. She was just as curious as Maggie, she had to admit. 

"Well...no, not yet. I mean...how do you impress a woman who has it all?" Kara replied nervously.

"By being yourself." Alex responded. "I don't think Lena's looking to be impressed. I think she'd be perfectly content with a picnic on the beach or dinner at Noonan's...just as long as it means being with you." 

Maggie looks back at her girlfriend with quite an enamoured look.

"Damn, Danvers. Since when did you become all mushy?" Maggie's dimpled grin was wide. 

"She's always been like that. Couldn't you tell by her immense collection of gag-worthy, cheesy romantic comedy films?" Kara replied with a chuckle. 

Maggie joined in on the laughing while Alex crossed her arms over her chest with a frown. Maggie hopped up off the stool and approached Alex, cupping her face in her hands. 

"You know, you're cute when you pout, Danvers." She leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Alex's lips. 

Alex couldn't help but grin after Maggie kissed her. Yeah...she definitely had it bad for the detective. And Kara could tell that as well. She was so happy for her sister. 

"If you two got any cuter, you'd be one of those movies in Alex's collection!" 

Alex and Maggie turned to Kara, both with their signature smiles of happiness. 

"Ah ha! Alex exclaimed. "You do secretly like my "gag-worthy" romantic comedies." 

Kara crossed her arms, trying to look defiant. But secretly...she was just as mushy as her sister. 

"I wouldn't go that far." Kara stated. 

"Yeah, yeah...whatever." Alex latched her arm through Maggie's as they headed for the door. "We're gonna grab some food and pick the mushiest...most gag-worthy romance movie on all of Netflix. Care to join us?"

Kara thought about joining them. But then something...or someone came to mind, and she knew how she wanted to spend the rest of her evening. 

"You two mush-heads go on and enjoy your night. I've got something I need to do."

"Suit yourself, little, Danvers." As Sanvers was about to leave, Maggie turned back to Kara. "And I still want to hear all about how you asked out Lena Luthor."

"Yeah...yeah." Kara replied sarcastically as she shooed them out the door. 

 

*********************************************************

Later...at LCorp...

*********************************************************

Kara arrived at the LCorp building with a large bag of food from Noonan's and a bottle of red wine in hand. She'd flown by Lena's office window a while ago to see if the CEO was still at work. Sure enough...she was. So Kara quickly changed, went to Noonan's, and was now entering the LCorp building. There was extra security stationed throughout due to the threats against Lena from Cadmus. Kara smiled and waved to the guards at the front desk. As she approached, she dug out her id and was promptly waved by.

She stepped out of the elevator and headed down the hallway to Lena's office. The door was closed, so she knocked gently. 

"Come on in. It's open." She heard Lena reply from within. 

As Kara walked in, she noticed Lena was on the phone. Once Lena looked up and realized it was Kara, she gave her a beautiful grin and covered her phone as she took it away from her ear. 

"I'll just be a few minutes more." 

Kara smiled and nodded. While Lena resumed her phone call, Kara sat the bag of food and bottle of wine on Lena's desk and headed out onto the balcony. As she leaned her arms on the wall and looked out over the city, she got lost in thought. Mostly she thought of tomorrow's ceremony and how much she hoped everything was going to go okay. She knew she shouldn't worry too much about it. They'd done just about all they could to make sure everything went off without a hitch. She just wanted Lena to be safe. Was that too much to ask?

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect I'd be seeing you until the ceremony tomorrow." Lena said as she walked out onto the balcony to join Kara. 

Lena stood beside Kara, close enough so that their shoulders were touching. Kara turned her head towards Lena.

"Hi." Kara said with a small smile.

Lena gave her a happy smile back as she responded.

"Hi yourself." 

Kara held Lena's gaze for a moment before looking back out at the cityscape. She let out a small sigh, which Lena noticed.

"Everything okay?"

Kara merely shrugged her shoulders. 

"You're worried about tomorrow." 

Kara nodded her head slightly. 

Lena stood shoulder to shoulder with Kara and looked out over the city with her for a few silent moments. Then she put her hand atop Kara's resting on the balcony wall as she turned back to face her. 

"There's nothing more we can do. We've all done what we can. We just have to believe that it's going to be good enough."

"Okay." Kara whispered.

"Hey." Lena raised her hand that was holding Kara's and placed in on Kara's cheek, turning Kara's face to look at her. "I'm not worried. I have Supergirl in my corner." 

Kara gave Lena a small grin at that statement.

"Yeah? Should I be jealous of this...Supergirl?" Kara asked playfully, trying to keep a serious look on her face.

"Perhaps." Lena smirked at Kara, deciding to tease her right back. "I guess it depends on whether or not a certain reporter follows through and takes me out on that date she promised."

"How does next Friday sound?" Kara asked, very sure of herself now.

"Sounds like you have a date, Ms. Danvers. Now...can we go eat whatever it is you brought that smells so divine? I'm starving." 

Kara chuckled at the thought of Lena being more hungry than her for once. 

"Lead the way, Ms. Luthor." 

Lena smiled and took Kara's hand, leading them back into her office. 

************************************************************

They'd decided to eat dinner outside since the weather was unseasonably mild for National City. Their conversation was light and consisted mostly of what all they'd been working on during the week. It wasn't compelling chit-chat by any means, but Kara loved it all the same. She loved just being there...with Lena...and talking about everyday things. It was just like what they used do when they'd go out for lunch before...the feelings had kicked in. They talked easily and freely. And it made Kara's heart happy. 

"You planned on attending the Mayor's gala after the ceremony, right?" Lena asked after taking a sip of wine.

Kara hadn't really been paying attention to where the conversation had gone. She'd been too busy having internal heart eye thoughts about the woman beside her. 

"Gala? What...gala? No...no I couldn't possibly go to that."

Lena sat down her wine glass and gave Kara an inquiring raise of her eyebrow.

"Oh yeah? And why-ever not?" 

"Well...I mean...Supergirl! Yeah...Supergirl will have to be on watch-patrol. You know...make sure nothing happens."

"Doesn't mean you can't pull the a few wardrobe switches throughout the night like you did at my gala." 

"You...you knew about that?!" Kara asked, mortified. 

"Well, technically not until that night I figured out you were Supergirl. Then a lot of things started making sense...like why you disappeared at the gala when Supergirl appeared, and then reappeared once she was gone."

"That...ughhhh...that was sooo hard!" 

"You pulled it off though." Lena gave Kara a playful wink. "So why couldn't you do it again? Maybe just long enough to dance with me?" 

Kara looked over at Lena and saw the longing in her eyes. 

"I can't" Kara replied softly.

"Please? It would really mean so much to me. Just one dance. Then you can go be the hero."

"No, I mean...I can't...dance." Kara said shyly.

"Well...I find that hard to believe." Lena responded in disbelief. 

Kara merely shrugged her shoulders. Lena tilted her head as she studied Kara. The blonde looked embarrassed, and suddenly Lena knew that she was telling the truth. 

"That won't do then. I'm not letting you get out of it that easily, Ms. Danvers. Or you'll owe me a dance indefinitely I'm afraid. Can I borrow that shiny new phone of yours for a second?"

"What? Why, I-"

Lena held out her hand. So Kara relented and grabbed her phone off the nearby table, handing it to Lena. She watched as Lena tapped and scrolled on her phone. Lena smiled, still looking at Kara's phone and then stood. She held out her hand to Kara.

"Come here."

Kara reluctantly took Lena's hand as the CEO helped her stand. She walked them over to the open space between the table and balcony wall. She let go of Kara's hand for a moment and tapped the screen on Kara's phone. Suddenly Etta James' "At Last" started playing. Satisfied, Lena sat the phone down on the table and returned to Kara. 

Kara looked terrified as Lena stepped in close to her, which amused her. Of all things that could scare a Superhero...

"You'll need to put your arms on my hips...may I?"

Lena glanced down at Kara's hands. Kara merely nodded. Lena took Kara's hands and placed them gently on her hips. Then Lena stepped in a bit closer and wrapped her arms around Kara's neck. 

"Is this okay?" Lena asked. She didn't want Kara to feel uncomfortable. It was the first time they'd been...so close.

Kara's throat had gone dry. Of course it was...more than okay. But it seemed like her voice, among other places all over her body were betraying her with how it felt being this close to Lena. She could only nod her head again. 

"Are you sure. We don't have to-"

"I-I'm fine. What do we do now?" Kara finally was able to get her voice to work at least. She gave Lena a sincere, but small smile, hoping she was playing off how nervous she truly was. 

Lena smiled back.

"Now we just move along to the music and try not to step on each other's toes." 

That made Kara laugh softly. Don't step on Lena's toes...right. She could handle that. Then she realized she was looking down at their feet for a bit too long and felt her cheeks blush as she looked up at Lena's amused green eyes. 

"Sorry...I-am I doing okay?" 

"You're going great."

Kara smiled confidently, feeling a bit better about her lack of dancing skills. 

"I like this song." 

Lena grinned at Kara and then decided to make a potentially risky move as she leaned in closer to Kara and nestled her head on the blonde's strong shoulder. She felt Kara tense for a split second and then relax as she felt Kara's hands slide around to her back, holding Lena closer. Then Kara's head rested against her. Lena let out a content sigh as they swayed along to the music. They stayed like that for the rest of the song. And when it ended, they found themselves dancing slowly to their own beat. 

When they finally stopped dancing, they stood still for a moment, still holding each other. Lena slowly raised her head, looking up into beautiful blue eyes. She moved her hand away from around Kara's neck and reached up to Kara's glasses. She gently removed them, watching intently as Kara swallowed nervously, as if Lena was unmasking the superhero. 

"You are stunning, Kara Zor-El." Lena said softly. "And my superhero. How'd I get so lucky?" Lena leaned in closer, her lips achingly close to Kara's. 

"Pfffffffft! I'm the lucky one. You're amazing and gorgeous and smart and...can I kiss you?" Kara rambled on adorably. 

Lena let out a small laugh.

"Of course you can, silly." Lena breathed out just before she felt Kara's lips gently touch hers. 

Kara lips were tentative at first. Lena brought her free hand up to Kara's face while she held her glasses in her other hand. Kara's lips were warm...so warm and soft...delicately soft, and Lena wanted more. And as if Kara could read Lena's mind, she felt her lips press a bit harder, with a bit more urgency as Kara's hand rose up to hold onto Lena's arm for support. Lena's hand slid to the back of Kara's neck.

Kara felt Lena's hand slide to the back of her neck and pull her closer. She finally felt just how soft and sultry Lena's lips really were. She felt like she could easily melt into those lips each time they pressed into hers. She felt...like she was floating. And maybe she was. But she didn't care. Because she was sure now that there was nothing as exquisite as kissing Lena Luthor. 

When their lips finally parted, they kept their foreheads touching, eyes closed while they caught their breath. 

"See...amazing." Kara whispered, her eyes still closed.

An amused chuckle escaped from Lena's lips as she finally opened her eyes and pulled back so she could look at Kara.

"Definitely amazing." Lena responded as she gently caressed Kara's cheek. She gently placed Kara's glasses back on. 

Kara opened her eyes only to close them again and take in a deep breath as she smiled. 

"What was that for?" Lena asked as Kara's eyes opened and gazed back at her lovingly. 

"I'm just...happy. " Kara replied. 

Lena nodded slightly with a smile.

"Me too." 

She took Kara's hand in hers, grabbed Kara's phone off the table and lead them inside into the office. 

"Let's get you home. It's a big day tomorrow."

Kara nodded as Lena organized the paperwork out on her desk. She watched her...in awe of just how amazing the evening had been. Amazing because she'd spent the evening with this beautiful woman before her. Amazing because that beautiful woman had patiently taught her how to dance. Amazing because she'd experienced the best kiss of her life...on this planet...or any other planet for that matter. And amazing because Lena Luthor was finally hers...at last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So fluffy...


	17. Butterflies and Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, listen. I was going to start getting into more drama in this chapter leading up to the major drama that might be happening at the award ceremony. But after watching the latest episode (2x11) I couldn't do that to Kara just yet. I mean...what the hell? I love Alex and I love Sanvers, but Alex...you don't ditch your sister on her important day to go to a concert with Maggie. And you also don't allow her heart to get broken again by telling her she should give Mon-El a chance. Because...yeah...dude apparently moves on real quick. So I wanted to have Kara happy in this chapter. Because...why don't the writers on the show think she deserves to be happy? So...
> 
> In this chapter... you got it...Supercorp happiness.

Kara awakened the next morning to gentle rays of early sunshine warming her face. A slight breeze came in through her opened window. As her eyes fluttered open, she took in a breath of the fresh morning air. She closed her eyes, gathered her fluffy down comforter in her arms in a hug, and smiled. And it wasn't a typically sunny Kara Danvers type of smile. No...it was more of a if she could feel any happier she'd be floating on a cloud with an endless supply of potstickers sort of smile. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt so...alive...so happy. It probably hadn't been since the morning after she'd outed herself when she'd saved the plane Alex had been on from crashing. She remembered how she'd felt so relieved after saving that plane. Relieved, ecstatic, excited, and even a bit giddy. Because she'd finally been able to use her powers to help, and she didn't have to repress that side of her any longer. 

Relieved, ecstatic, excited...and even a bit giddy...yeah, that would definitely be what Kara was feeling this current morning. Kara opened her eyes, still smiling widely. It hadn't been a dream. Last night had really happened. She'd been there. Lena had been there. They'd danced. They'd kissed. Holy Rao...they had kissed! Kara pulled the comforter up over her head and let out an adorable happy squeal. After she pulled her comforter back down she touched a finger to her lips. The kiss had been amazing. She'd told Lena as much. But now she was beginning to feel like amazing may have been an understatement. She could still feel Lena's lips on hers. If felt wonderful...and made her want more. Never before had a single kiss moved her this much. And Kara wanted more...she craved more. This longing sensation was new to her, but she definitely liked it. 

Kara rolled over to look at her alarm clock. It was still quite early in the morning. She didn't have to report to the DEO until later in the afternoon. And the award ceremony wasn't until later that evening. She grinned as an idea popped into her head. And of course, that idea involved breakfast...and Lena Luthor. She got up from the bed and headed for the bathroom to take a shower. 

**********************************************************

Lena groaned into her pillow as her phone rang on the bedside table. She decided that whoever it was calling could wait until it was a decent hour of the morning. She didn't bother to check as she pulled her soft, satin comforter up over her head. It was too early for a phone call. She'd only fallen asleep a few hours ago after spending the late evening hours eating, dancing, and...kissing Kara. Lena pulled the comforter back down from her face and suddenly grinned. She'd kissed Kara Danvers. She'd kissed...Supergirl. They were one and the same. And the moment their lips had touched, the CEO had felt herself fall even deeper for the beautiful blonde. 

Lena raised her hand to her lips, tracing over them gently with her fingers. She closed her eyes and let herself feel the soft tentativeness of Kara's lips upon hers. Lena had kissed a lot of girls. But most of those girls had been flings...one night stands. Nothing had ever been serious...not since she and Vanessa had broken up in high school. So really...one could say she'd never felt anything in those kisses she'd had with her various dalliances since then. So that meant...it had been a very long time. But even when she and Vanessa had made out, it hadn't felt like it did when she'd kissed Kara. Call it a spark. Call it chemistry. Call it...whatever. Lena couldn't deny that she definitely needed to be kissing Kara Danvers again...soon. Her fingers were still at her lips when she heard a knock at her front door. 

Lena sighed as her phone rang again. She rolled over to grab it. Seeing Kara's name, she smiled as she answered...

"Good morning, Supergirl." Lena pulled the comforter off her and sat up on the edge of her bed. 

"Good morning to you. Could you...ah...come let me in?"

Lena is suddenly very awake.

"That's you out there knocking?"

"Trying to. It's a little hard with an arm full of food and coffee."

"I ummmm...right! I'll be right there." Lena hung up and headed for the living room. 

Lena tried smoothing out the messy strands of hair coming out of her haphazard, slept on ponytail. When she realized it was ridiculous to try to look any sort of put together that early in the morning on such short notice, she let out a sigh and opened the door. 

 

********************************************************************

Kara had not been prepared for what she saw when Lena opened the door. The CEO stood before her, hair in a messy ponytail, no makeup, wearing a green, oversized "Metropolis University" t-shirt and a green and black plaid boxer shorts. She looked...absolutely breathtaking. And Kara decided that just awakened, all-natural Lena was her new favorite look. She realized she'd been staring too long when Lena raised an inquisitive eyebrow at her as a small grin passed over her lips. 

"I-I...ummmm...breakfast. I brought breakfast." Kara said with her signature flustered stutter. 

Lena took a moment to take in Kara's appearance, since the blonde had so obviously been doing the same to Lena moments before. Her hair looked like it was still somewhat wet and was pulled up into a sloppy bun. She had on a purple "CatCo Media" t-shirt and...cartoon puppy pajama pants? Lena couldn't help but grin. Did Kara know how adorable she truly was? 

"I'm sorry it's so early. Did I wake you? I woke you up, didn't I? I-I can come back later, or-"

Lena let out a chuckle as she reached for the drink carrier in Kara's right hand. 

"When are you going to stop being so nervous around me?" Lena teased gently, taking the coffee so Kara could balance her armful of food in both hands. 

"Probably never." Kara replied shyly. "Seeing as how you always seems to give me...butterflies in my stomach."

"You sure you just aren't hungry?"

Kara laughed at that, and Lena smiled. She's succeeded at putting the blonde at ease. Lena stepped aside to let Kara in and then shut the front door. She followed Kara to the kitchen and sat down the coffee. Kara started sorting out the food in the bags she brought but then paused and looked up at Lena. Her face was sincere yet serious as she looked into those intense green eyes. 

"It's not hunger, you know. The butterfly thing. It's you. I-I really meant that."

Lena could have melted into a puddle right then and there. There was so much emotion in Kara's eyes...in the way that she just spoke. But Lena couldn't seem to find the right words to speak back. So she just stood there...lost in the the blue sea of Kara's eyes. 

Kara suddenly looked away and started messing with the takeout bags again. 

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It's...it's silly. We should probably eat before the food gets cold, and-"

Kara hadn't noticed that Lena had stepped around the counter and over to her. She grabbed Kara's hand and turned her around. Lena kept hold of Kara's hand and placed it over her heart. Kara could feel the hard thumping beneath her palm. Lena held her hand there, not taking her eyes off of Kara. 

"It's not silly. I get them too...the butterflies." 

"Yeah?" Kara asked softly.

Lena reached a hand up to Kara's cheek, giving it a gentle caress. 

"Yes." Lena's eyes roamed down to Kara's lips, stayed there for a moment and then headed back up to meet blue again. "Kara?" Lena whispered as she stepped into Kara.

"Hmmmm?" Kara replied glancing down at Lena's lips then quickly back up to her eyes.

Whatever Lena had meant to ask didn't get asked, because Lena closed the distance between them and met Kara's lips with hers. And once again, Lena felt as though she was drowning in the sheer softness of all things Kara. Her other hand that had been holding Kara's hand to her chest came up to meet Kara's cheek, both hands now holding the superhero in place. 

Kara's hands slid down to Lena's waist and pulled the CEO in closer to her, their bodies now flush against each other. She let her hands roam up Lena's back, letting them rest there as their initial gentle and exploring kiss began to intensify. She let out a small surprised gasp as she felt Lena's teeth graze her bottom lip, causing Lena to pull back from the kiss ever so slightly. 

"I'm sorry, was that too much?" Lena said while trying to catch her breath. 

"No! No...that was...that was...wow!" Kara replied, her eyes still closed. 

Lena let out a satisfied chuckle before pulling back a little further and opening her eyes. Her sparkling green eyes were met with equally sparking blue. They smiled sweetly at each other. Then Kara's stomach growled loudly, causing them both to laugh. 

"Come on, let's get you fed." Lena gave Kara a quick kiss on the cheek before stepping over to the takeout containers. 

*****************************************************************

An hour later, they found themselves on the couch looking through the latest copy of CatCo magazine together. Lena was freshly showered, her hair down and still damp. She'd changed into a clean t-shirt and black knit work-out shorts. Kara's head rested on Lena's shoulder, with the CEO's arm wrapped around her as they flipped through the magazine. 

"This makes me miss Ms. Grant." Kara said as they finished reading an article.

"Never thought I'd hear anyone say they miss Cat Grant." Lena mused, closing the magazine. She placed the magazine beside her on the couch and let Kara snuggle into her side as Lena adjusted her arms and held her. 

"Most people don't know the real Cat Grant though. She's really an amazing, passionate, and caring woman...you know, once you get through that tough, bitchy exterior."

Lena chuckled. 

"I just miss talking to her, you know? She always gave the best, heart-felt advice...even if it was rude and bluntly to the point."

"That's the best kind of advice."

Kara raised her head slightly to look up at Lena. 

"Yeah." Kara smiled and laid her head back on Lena's shoulder. 

"However...bluntly to the point also sounds a lot like your sister." Lena remarked.

Kara sat up and looked at Lena, giving her a look of confusion. 

"What do you mean?"

Lena regretted it the moment she said it. But it was too late now. 

"Nothing. I just meant...it seems like Alex is very to the point-doesn't mess around." Lena looked away nervously. 

"Oh, Rao...what did she do? Did she threaten you?" Kara rolled her eyes at herself. Of course Alex said something to Lena. She was super-protective of Kara. "What did she say?"

"It's nothing, Kara. Don't worry about it."

"Lena, please."

Lena turned her head back to Kara.

"She sort of...you know...gave me...the talk."

"The talk?" Kara asked, not quite getting what Lena meant until... "Oh! Oh no..she-you mean. Oh geez, are you okay? She didn't like, pull her gun on you or something crazy DEO, did she? Oh, Lena, I'm so sorry. I didn't know-"

Lena grabbed hold of Kara's arms to steady the now flustered and freaking out blonde. 

"Kara, it's okay. It's fine. In fact, it was really quite endearing."

"Endearing? Alex isn't...endearing when it comes to protecting me." Kara responded through an exasperated sigh. 

"Hey...it's okay, Kara. Seriously. I just meant that it's really lovely that you have someone who really cares about you. Someone to stand up for you. I-I don't have that. So I guess that makes you free to break my heart without any repercussions." Lena stated solemnly, looking away from Kara. 

Kara chuckled and took Lena's hands in hers. 

"Oh...I wouldn't say that." 

Lena looked back at Kara and was met with a sly smile. 

"What do you mean?" Lena asked, not quite sure where Kara was going with her remark. 

"Well...ummmm. You see...I also got "the talk" ...on your behalf." 

"I-I don't understand. You're my only friend here. I can't think of anyone who would..." Lena's voice trailed off as she came to the realization of... "Vanessa?"

Kara grinned and nodded. 

"Wow...that was, unexpected." Lena freed one of her hands from Kara and ran it nervously through her hair. "Did she...go gentle on you? She's also one of those very blunt women." Lena chuckled. 

"Ah...I guess so? I mean, I don't know. I didn't even realize there was such a thing as "the talk" until Maggie clued me in. We were having a drink after I'd turned in the article to Snapper and all of a sudden...there she was, coming towards our booth." 

That made Lena laugh.

"What? What's so funny?"

"No...it's nothing. It's just, I can picture you sitting there being all adorable and confused while my ex-girlfriend threatens you about breaking my heart."

"Oh not you too!" Kara exclaimed

"What?" Lena's face got serious, thinking she said something to upset Kara. 

"Why does everyone thing I'm so adorable?"

Lena couldn't help it. She laughed again. She leaned in close and cupped Kara's cheeks. 

"Because you truly are...so-damn-adorable." 

Lena placed a gentle, chaste kiss on Kara's lips, pulled back, and gently tucked a stray strand of Kara's hair behind her ear. They stayed like that for a while, lost in each other and their thoughts. Lena thought about how much it made her heart swell that someone had actually cared enough to look out for her and her heart when it came to Kara. And she thought about how lucky she was to be there in the moment with her adorable superhero. And Kara...she thought about kissing Lena some more before they had to get ready for the Mayor's award ceremony later. She also thought about Alex and how her sister had looked out for her and her heart when it came to Lena. 

Kara's frustrated eyebrow crinkle suddenly appeared, making Lena take notice. 

"What's wrong?" Lena asked, concerned. 

"I-it's nothing. Just...I'm worried about the things Alex could have potentially said to you. I hope she didn't...scare you off?"

"I'm here now, aren't I?" Lena gave Kara a small smile before leaning in to kiss her. 

"Well...yes." Kara said upon breaking the kiss. "But-"

"Trust me, Kara. I haven't met a threat I couldn't handle." Lena said, leaning back in to kiss Kara again.

"Okay, but threats? So she did threaten you?" Kara asked, pulling out of the kiss once more. 

"She may have said something about many alien ways to kill me and hide my body with the help of her girlfriend." Lena gave Kara a playful wink and then grabbed onto her shirt collar, pulling her closer. 

"Oh man...oh geez. I-I'm...ohhhh...she's so gonna get it when I see her this afternoon."

"Kara?"

"Hmmmmm?" Kara's eyes met Lena's. For some reason, they looked a much darker shade of green than usual. 

"No more talking." 

Lena crashed her lips into Kara's, kissing her with all the emotions she was feeling. It was passionate. It was urgent. It was...beautiful. Before she knew it, Kara was slowly laying back onto the couch and pulling Lena down with her, their lips never parting. And in her mind, Kara only had one thought...

This was the best morning ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Kara and Lena makes my heart happy. Plus...there's at least a Supercorp hug coming for real. About. Damn. Time. Check out the promo for 2x12 if you haven't already. :)


	18. Chats and Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is sort of a filler chapter before we get to the main event of the awards ceremony. Alex and Kara have a fun chat. Maggie meets Lena and they have a fun chat...and Kara finds an unexpected visitor waiting for her at Catco...

When Kara made her way into the DEO early that afternoon, she was glowing...and smiling...and floating? Okay, maybe she wasn't literally floating, but she definitely felt a lot lighter...in a good way-a very good way. And Alex noticed it immediately. 

"That's quite a lot a spring you've got in your step there, Supergirl." Alex commented as Kara approached the main area of the DEO.

"What spring? I don't have a...spring." 

Winn turned away from his computer screen to see Kara walking towards them. Both he and Alex gave Kara a knowing smirk as she came to a stop beside Alex. 

"Oh yeah...definitely a spring!" Winn said, trying to keep the laugh in his throat from slipping out. 

"What was it you said to me a few weeks ago...Oh yes, something along the line of looking like I got hit with a love ray."

"Shhhhhh...there's no such thing as a love ray. I made that up." Kara replied quickly giving her sister a playful jab in her side with her elbow.

"Dude...you so look like you've been hit with a love ray. Like a huge, comsic, heart-eyes infested love ray." Winn teased.

This time Alex couldn't help it. She started to chuckle. And when Winn joined her, Kara crossed her arms over her chest with a frown.

"Oh, sorry. It's not a love ray...more like a...Lena ray!" 

Kara's eyes grew wide and Winn nearly fell out of his chair. After he composed himself, he looked up at Kara, who was now blushing quite a shade of red.

"I-I'm sorry, Lena? As in...Lena Luthor? As in...sister of your cousin's most notorious foe? You...her...you and her? Wow...I-"

"Come on, Winn. You know Lena's been a huge asset with helping us prevent a further Cadmus attack today."

"No, I know. Of course, I wasn't implying anything bad about her. It's just...I'm just...wow. How did I miss that?"

"Maybe because you've been too wrapped up in all things Guardian to notice." Kara shot back, arms still crossed as she raised an angry eyebrow at him.

"Right. Yes. Well I'm gonna just..." Winn pointed at his computer and swiftly turned back around to face it.

Alex grabbed Kara's forearm and led her far enough away where Winn couldn't listen in.

"That was a bit harsh, don't you think?" Alex started, watching as Kara glanced over at Winn and then back at her. 

"I just worry about him, you know? It's one thing that James wants to go be all pseudo-human hero. But it's another thing entirely that he's involved Winn and putting him in danger every time they go out there!"

"Look, I know you're having a hard time with the Guardian thing, but-"

"Just...nevermind. It's between James and me. You...you!" Kara pointed her finger at her sister.

"What'd I do?" 

"Lena ray? Really?" Kara tried her best to keep a straight face, but she cracked, a giggle escaping from her lips. 

"You have to admit. That was a good one!" Alex replied, breaking out into a giggle herself. 

"It really wasn't." Kara responded, playfully rolling her eyes. 

"Okay, but seriously. You look like you could float away into a cloud of blissfulness. What gives?

"I ah...I just had a really good evening last night. And...a really good morning." Kara smiled contentedly, recalling the makeout session she and Lean had partaken in just a few hours earlier. 

"Oh." Alex let Kara's response sink in for a moment. Then her eyes widened. "Ohhhhhh. You...you spent the night with Lena? Already? I...wow. That was fast." 

For once, Alex sounded like the flustered sister.

"What? No! No, Alex, I did not spend the night with Lena. I'm not...well I don't even think she's...we're not ready for that yet."

"Oh well, I just assumed that-"

"Get your mind out of the lesbian gutter." Kara joked, slapping her sister on the shoulder. 

Alex blushed, making Kara smile with satisfaction She began to walk off before turning her head back at her sister.

"There was kissing though...lots and lots of amazing kissing." Kara chuckled mischievously as the turned to walk away. 

Alex quickly jogged to catch up with her...

"Oh! Are her lips as sultry as we predicted?" she exclaimed before catching up to Kara. 

Kara laughed heartily as the two sisters disappeared around the corner. 

****************************************************************  
Meanwhile...at LCorp...  
****************************************************************

Lena was busy working on her laptop at her desk when she heard a light knock at the door. She recognized her assistant's knock, closed her laptop and leaned back in her chair, taking a break for what she was working on. 

"Come in, Jess." 

The assistance stepped inside Lena's office, keeping the door open while speaking.

"Ms. Luthor, there's a Detective Maggie Sawyer here to see you about the security arrangements for this evening's ceremony."

"Right, Jess. Please send her in. Thank you." 

Lena had been expecting someone from the NCPD to come to LCorp to discuss the security protocols for the Mayor's ceremony. What she hadn't expected was that it would be Agent Danvers' girlfriend. Now she'd finally get to meet the women who would supposedly aid in the assistance of disposing of her body were she to hurt Kara. Lena smiled fondly at how endearing the elder Danvers sister had been even though she'd essentially been threatening Lena's life. 

Meanwhile, as Maggie made her way to Lena's office, she couldn't help but be impressed by setup of LCorp. And something told her she was going to be equally impressed by Lena Luthor. She'd never met the CEO before. Of course she'd seen pictures in various magazine and newspaper write-ups she had read about the various trials and tribulations of the younger Luthor. So she was very much looking forward to meeting her. Plus...she'd get the opportunity to size up the CEO...make sure she was as worthy of Kara as Kara made her out to be.

She walked past Lena's assistant's desk over to an open door were the assistant was standing with a pleasant smile. 

"You can go on in, Detective Sawyer."

"Thank you." Maggie responded politely before entering the office. 

When Maggie stepped inside Lena's office, her eyes were immediately drawn to the raven-haired woman as she stood up from her chair. Her long, straight locks framed her face beautifully. Intense green eyes met her with a smile from dark crimson lips. As the CEO walked over towards Maggie in her form-fitting power-suit and impressive red heels that seemed to match her lipstick, only one thought popped into Maggie's head...

...way to go, Little Danvers!

Maggie smiled, her signature dimples out in full force as Lena stopped in front of her and held out her hand. 

"Detective Sawyer. It's a pleasure to meet you. Lena Luthor."

Maggie shook Lena's hand.

"Nice to finally meet you, Ms. Luthor."

"Please, call me Lena." Lena gestured to the chair in front of her desk. "Shall we?" 

"Of course." Maggie replied as Lena walked back behind her desk and sat down. Maggie sat down as well. 

"It's great to finally meet you as well, Detective. It's nice to be able to put a face to the name." Lena told the detective.

"Uh oh...meaning you've heard about me from...certain mutual sources I'm presuming?" Maggie asked, not surprised that the CEO had heard her name before...most likely from Kara.

Lena smiled slyly.

"Well, it's not everyday you get threatened by a DEO agent who says that she can take me out using many different alien murder methods and that her detective girlfriend would help her hide my body where no-one could find it." Lena replied nonchalantly. 

"I'm sorry, what was that?"

"Oh, so you're not a willing co-conspirator in the the hurt Kara and I'll endure the wrath of Agent Danvers scheme?" Lena asked, still expertly keeping a straight face.

"She didn't." Maggie stated with a small chuckle. 

"I assure you, she did." 

"Well, Ms Luthor-Lena. I can assure you that Agent Danvers is definitely a woman of her word...especially when it comes to her sister." Maggie gave Lena a playful wink, making Lena finally break from her act of seriousness and smile at the detective. 

"And what about you, Detective? Are you a woman of your word?"

"I am. And I do care a great deal about Kara. She's an incredible person with a huge heart."

"I assure you, Detective. I don't intend to do anything to hurt that huge heart." Lena said sincerely. 

"I'm glad to hear it. And I assure you, Ms. Luthor, that I'm gonna have a talk with my agent girlfriend about making me an accomplice to murder." 

Lena laughed at that and Maggie's smile widened. 

"Well that was quite a lot of assuring. Shall we get down to business?" Lena stated, prompting Maggie to unzip her NCPD tote bag and take out a file folder.

"Of course. I promised a certain superhero that the NCPD would do everything in its power to keep you safe today." Maggie opened up the folder so she could go over the security layouts with Lena.

"Then please promise me that you'll also do whatever you can to make sure that certain superhero is kept safe as well. If anything were to happen to her..." Lena looked away from Maggie for a moment, trying not to let her mind go there. But it did, and Maggie could tell by the shift of a smile to a frown on the CEO's face. 

"Hey, don't worry. Between Alex, me, the DEO, and the NCPD...and all the intel that you and Alex have been working on...anyone would be a fool to try anything today. Okay?"

Lena looked back at Maggie, her green eyes solemn when she slightly nodded at the detective. Maggie gave Lena a reassuring smile. Lena smiled back slightly, her face full of emotion. And in that moment, Maggie could see just how much Lena cared about Kara. That's when the second thought about the CEO in regards to Kara popped into her mind...

...Oh, Little Danvers, she definitely loves you back

Maggie smiled at the thought, hoping that eventually they'd get around to telling each other instead of everyone else. Whether it be directly or through their mannerisms, they seemed to be letting everyone other than themselves know how they really felt about each other. 

"Let's see what you got then, Detective." Lena said, breaking Maggie's thoughts. 

"Absolutely. Let's start with the security detail on the way to the venue." Maggie took a sheet of paper out from the folder and began to go over it with Lena.

***************************************************************  
Meanwhile...at CatCo  
***************************************************************

After Kara had finished being briefed at the DEO and made a final run-through flyover at the ceremony venue, she arrived at CatCo. The elevator dinged as she hurried out, not wanting to be late for the reporter meeting Snapper had called at the last minute. 

"Danvers!" She heard Snapper yell from across the room.

Kara looked over to see Snapper motioning her over. She looked down at her watch. She'd arrived with five minutes to spare. Surely Snapper wasn't going to yell at her for being late. She hurried over to Snapper as he was barking out orders to a few interns before he turning to her. 

"You've got the lead coverage on the Mayor's ceremony this afternoon. I want you to prepare and bring me the best story of your life."

"Um...yeah, okay. Got it, boss. So the meeting-"

"Don't worry about the meeting. I'm just going to assign smaller stories about the ceremony to the other reporters. And anyway, your presence is needed up in Cat Grant's office."

"Oh...did James have a story for me too? Because we aren't really on the best terms right now and I-"

"I don't have time for your boyfriend dramas, Danvers. All I was told was that you're needed up there...pronto!"

Snapper stormed off, mumbling something about annoying millennials before disappearing down the hallway. Kara let out a sigh and headed back to the elevator to Cat's floor. On the ride up, she wondered what James could possibly want. They'd done their best at avoiding each other every since they'd argued over him insisting the city needed The Guardian. Kara rolled her eyes as the elevator door opened and she headed for Cat's office. 

Kara walked towards her former boss and mentor's office lost in thought. But when she reached the doorway and looked up, she stopped immediately, her eyes wide with shock. 

"Ms. Grant! You're back?" 

Cat Grant, who was standing with her back to Kara looking up at the news programs on her various TV screens turned around with a typical Cat Grant sly smile on her face. Kara couldn't help herself. She ran over to Cat and pulled the woman into a big hug. 

"Hello, Kara. It's good to see you too." Cat said, returning Kara's hug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ummmm...so I'd really love it if Cat calls James out on being a useless "boss" while she was gone and fires his ass, telling him he can just go be the Guardian full time and see how that works out for him...haha. Thoughts? Would you like to see that, or should I just continue on to the pre-award ceremony stuff? ;)


	19. Cat Knows All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First of all...Happy Valentines Day everyone! <3
> 
> Second...I'd just like to take a moment to extend a huge middle finger to the Supergirl writers for what they did in the latest episode (2x12) *SPOILER RANT...if you haven't watched the episode yet...
> 
> ...How do you go from a beautiful Supercorp scene where Lena sent MANY bouquets of flowers to Kara's office to thank her AND literally told Kara that she was her hero to suddenly having douchebag extraordinaire Mon-El show up at Kara's and all of a sudden she's all...I wanna be with you? Lena sent flowers....okay...many flowers by what Kara said. And she gave Kara the best compliment ever in saying Kara Danvers is her hero. What has Mon-El done? Let's see...nothing. Why...why...why? It doesn't make any sense. It's forced as hell. And Kara/Mon-El have zero romantic chemistry. Ugh...
> 
> *END RANT...
> 
> Okay...so in this chapter...Cat and Kara talk and it's like old times. Next I'll have Cat deal with James for you all. ;)

"Not that I'm not super happy to see you but...what are you doing here, Ms. Grant?" Kara asked after breaking away from hugging Cat. "I thought you were off like...climbing Mount Fuji or something."

"Please, Kara. Mount Fuji climbs are so 2015."

Kara stood with a perplexed look on her face as Cat walked around to her desk.

"It was Kilimanjaro this time." 

"Kilimanjaro? As in...Africa?"

"I see someone was an A student in geography." Cat smiled smugly at Kara.

Kara let out a nervous chuckle. 

"No, I just...wow...Africa? 

"Yes. Africa." Cat replied, sitting down at her desk and looking over some paperwork.

"So did you like...go on a safari? Because I've always wanted to do that. I love animals. Did you know that a giraffe's spots are like a human's fingerprints? No two are alike!"

"First of all, yes I did go on a safari. Second, I did not know that about giraffes. Third...what the hell is this?" Cat held up some picture proofs for the upcoming magazine issue. 

Kara stepped in closer to Cat's desk and took the proofs from her outstretched hand as Cat studied something else on her desk.

"Ah...well, it looks like James' proofs for his...Guardian piece?" 

Cat looked up at Kara, unimpressed before rolling her eyes. 

"That's one of the reasons why I came back sooner than expected."

"Because of...the Guardian?" 

Cat stood from her desk, reached over to grab the proofs from Kara's hands, and tossed them in a nearby trash can.

"I will not have the blood, sweat, and tears I put into building this company go down the drain because some moron with an ego complex thinks he can turn my magazine into a glorified Guardian tabloid rag. 

"But that's not. Ummmm...James isn't-"

Cat walked over to Kara...

"I know James is the Guardian, Kara. No need to try to cover for him. Although...you really are the worst liar. It doesn't mix well with your...sunny disposition.:

Kara let out a sigh of defeat. There was no point in trying to argue the Guardian's true identity with Cat Grant. 

"How did you know?"

"Did you really think I wouldn't have eyes and ears reporting back to me while I was away?" Cat paused and gave Kara a sly smile. "Plus, every damn week there's a lame write-up about the Guardian written by none other than...James Olsen. You couldn't get more narcissistic if you were Donald Trump in the flesh." 

Cat let out a shiver of disgust before walking over to her liquor cabinet. She poured herself some brandy before turning back around to face Kara.

"What I want to know is...how does Supergirl feel about her former love interest and now what...friend...parading around the city pretending to be a hero?"

"Ms. Grant, I thought we'd settled this. I'm not-"

"Save it Kara. We're past this by now, aren't we?" Cat walked over to the couch and sat. She patted the cushion beside her, looking up at Kara.

Kare begrudgingly walked over and sat beside Cat. 

"I still haven't figured out how you pulled that trick on me...you and Supergirl being here in my office...at the same time. And don't think I haven't tried. But I wasn't fooled. I simply...went with it, for your sake."

"Ms. Grant...I-"

"Just...let me finish, Kara." Cat took a sip of her brandy before continuing. "You asked earlier what I was doing back. And while some of the reasoning is so that I can rectify the horrible decision I made by putting James in charge...that's not the main reason I returned."

"Well if it wasn't for work, then why?" Kara asked softly.

"For you." Cat stated simply.

"For me? Why for me? I...I haven't done anything. I'm just boring old Kara Danvers. Why would you come home for me?"

"Did you really think I would miss you, boring old Kara Danvers, getting an award of bravery from the Mayor this evening?"

Kara couldn't help but blush.

"I well...that's nothing. I didn't really do anything, really. It was Lena that saved the alien race, and I just...well Supergirl just...happened to be there too. It's-"

"Kara."

"Hmmmmm?" Kara looked up at Cat. 

"When are you going to start accepting that you're a hero?"

"I...I don't know that I ever will, Ms. Grant. Maybe not entirely. But so much has happened since you've been away. And it's really opened my eyes to certain things. And I'm learning everyday how to be all of those different aspects within a...hero."

Cat raised an eyebrow curiously at Kara.

"There's something different about you, Kara. You seem...lighter...happier-if that were even possible."

Kara let out a small chuckle. 

"Well, like I said...quite a lot has happened since you've been away."

"Indeed." Cat took another sip of her brandy. "So who is it?"

"I..." Kara let out a nervous chuckle and pushed up her glasses. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Please, Kara. You couldn't be more obvious if Cupid himself came in here and stuck you with a love arrow. I've seen crushing Kara before, but this...this is in love Kara. And despite your still drabby-chic wardrobe...the whole love thing looks very good on you."

"Thank you?" Kara said, not quite sure if she was being complemented or insulted. "But there's really...I'm not-"

"Ms Grant?" One of Catco's interns interrupted before Kara could finish denying Cat's in love accusations. 

Kara was relieved she was off the hook...for now. Of course she was in love. But it's not like she wanted the whole world to know just yet. And if Cat Grant knew she was in love with-

"Lena Luthor." 

Kara hadn't heard a thing the intern had said other than Lena's name.

"Kara?" Cat said, giving Kara a questioning look.

"Hmmmmm?" Kara looked at Cat and then over at the intern. "I'm sorry. Did you need me for something, Becky?"

"Yeah...ummm...there's a Lena Luthor here to see you down in your office. Should I send her up here?"

"No, I-"

"Yes." Cat stated.

Kara's head quickly turned back to Cat.

"That will be all...Becky, was it?" Cat waited for the intern to nod and then dismissed her with a flick of her hand. 

"Ms. Grant, I'm sure you're busy and all since you just got back. I can meet with Lena in my office. It's not a problem."

"Nonsense, Kara. It's not everyday Lena Luthor decides to show up at CatCo. I've been trying to get her on the cover of CatCo Magazine every since she moved to National City. And would you look at that...now's my chance." 

Cat stood up from the couch as she saw Lena approaching her office. Kara looked over to the door where Cat was looking and stood as well. Lena smiled as soon as she saw Kara, something that didn't go unnoticed with Cat. The CEO's eyes were focused on Kara first as she stepped inside Cat's office. Then she glanced over at Cat, giving her a professional looking smile.

"Ms. Grant. Quite the surprise. I didn't know you were back in town." 

"Ms. Luthor. Funny...I didn't know a busy woman such as yourself would have even known I was out of town." Cat gave Kara an inquisitive look before walking over to Lena and giving her a cordial smile and a quick handshake. "Congratulations are in order, I do believe." 

"Congratulations? For what, exactly?" Lena replied. 

"Oh, I don't know...saving the entire alien population...putting your mother behind bars...for the highest civilian award of bravery you're about to receive in a few hours. Take your pick. Would you like something to drink?" Cat walked over to the table in front of the couch and picked up her empty glass before heading back for her bar.

"Umm...no, no thank you. I'm actually here to see Kara...if you two aren't busy at the moment."

"She's not busy at the moment. You two go have your little chat." Cat turned and watched as Kara quickly walked out of the office. As Lena turned to follow, Cat continued as she poured another glass of brandy. "Oh, and Ms. Luthor? I'd love to talk with you about an entire cover story sometime soon." Cat gave Lena a wink and head over to her desk. 

**************************************************************

Kara was waiting for Lena over by the large picture window across the room from Cat's office. When Lena approached her, the reporter turned to greet the CEO with a sweet smile. 

"Hi."

"Hi, yourself. So...did I interrupt something or is she always like that?"

"I don't know. I mean, yes, she's always like that. And no, you didn't interrupt anything aside from her giving me the third degree about being in love and how I looked...I think she said lighter...or something, I don't know, I-" Kara stopped suddenly, realizing what she'd just said. She couldn't look at Lena. Not when she'd just admitted, albeit quite indirectly, that well...she was in love with Lena. "That's not...I mean I didn't mean to suggest...oh geez...I could use instant disappearance as one of my superpowers right about now."

"Kara?"

Kara's eyes very slowly made their way up to Lena's. The CEO's smile was gentle and genuine as she reached up and tucked a stray hair back behind Kara's ear. 

"Did you tell Cat Grant that you're in love with me?" Lena teased as her grin got even bigger. 

"What? No! No...I...of course not. Because...that's not...it's..." Kara let out a huge frustrated sigh as Lena chucked at the adorableness that was flustered Kara. Kara took in a deep breath before continuing, trying to salvage any sort of composure she had left. "She just started going on about how something was different about me and equated it with there being someone and...why are you here...anyway. Not that...not that I'm not happy to see you, because I totally am. I...was there something you needed?"

Lena took a step back and looked down for a moment. When she looked back up at Kara, she was still smiling and even had a bit of a blush rising up her cheeks. 

"I ah...well I didn't exactly have an imperative reason to come here."

"So, everything is okay? Nothing has changed with tonight's security protocol or-"

"No, no, everything is fine with that. I just...wanted to see you...you know before the ceremony. I'm not sure that we'll see much of each other what with you pulling Kara Danvers/Supergirl double duty. So I wanted to come and say...hi."

This time it was Kara's turn to blush as her lips formed a cute, shy smile. 

"Ms. Luthor, are you saying you showed up here at CatCo because you...missed me?" 

"Well...I...ummmmm, yes?"

"Now who's the adorable one?" Kara teased, making Lena's pink cheeks turn a shade darker. 

Lena cleared her throat, trying to compose herself. 

"I brought potstickers. I left them on your desk downstairs. Would you...want to have a quick late lunch with me before we have to get ready for everything?"

Kara grinned. If there was anything better than potstickers, it was eating potstickers while spending time with Lena. Kara held out her hand. 

"I'd love to. Shall we?"

Lena hesitated, looking down at Kara's outstretched hand. But Kara merely nodded slightly, giving Lena the go ahead to take her hand. Kara intertwined their fingers and gave Lena a loving smile before leading them away and down the hall towards the elevator.

******************************************  
Meanwhile...in Cat's office...

******************************************

Cat had watched the entire interaction between Kara and Lena from her desk. And as they walked away, hand in hand, Cat grinned mischievously as she raised her brandy glass to her lips and took a sip.

"Good for you, Kara. Good for you."

Cat sat the glass down, picked up her reading glasses, and got to work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ....but guys...Lena sent Kara flowers and told her she was her hero. My heart hurts. I'll just go cry in the corner now...lol. ;)


	20. The Polls Don't Lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat puts James in his place like only Cat Grant can while Kara and Lena realize the threats maybe are about to get real...

Cat looked up when she heard a slight knock at her opened door. There stood James Olsen. She gave him an uninterested glance before looking back down at what she was working on. 

"Enter." She said, not bothering to look up from her work.

"Cat-uh, Ms. Grant, I didn't know you were back." James stepped inside the office, not approaching her desk.

"Shut the door." Cat continued to read over the documents on her desk.

James stepped over to the door and closed it. He turned, crossing his arms over his chest and waited for Cat to speak.

"Sit." Kat stated, pointing over to her couch, still not looking at James. 

James walked slowly over to Cat's couch and sat down with an annoyed look on his face. Cat let a few moments pass in silence before taking off her reading glasses, putting down the papers she was reading over, and finally looking up at James. She stood powerfully yet gracefully up from her desk...like only Cat Grant could. 

"I got back this morning, Mr. Olsen. But then...you'd have known that had you shown up for your job on time this morning."

Cat strided over to the couch, stopping in front of James, arms crossed over her chest. 

"There's a reason I came in so late today." James paused, trying to quickly come up with a plausible excuse. 

"And I can't wait...not...to hear it." Cat replied with her signature stony look of indifference. 

"Ms. Grant, I-"

Cat held up her hand, silencing James.

"I'm not interested in your lame excuses, Mr. Olsen. What I am interested in...is getting straight to the point."

"Okay. Well if you could let me in on what this is about..."

"What it's about, James, is your inability to properly run CatCo in my absence. Granted I'll have to take a bit of the blame for thinking I could trust you to run a multi-billion dollar, known all over the world, media company that bears my name. But let's not get caught up in the schematics."

"Well, I think I've been running CatCo just fine." James replied with a hint of arrogance in his voice. 

"Fine?" Cat lets out a sarcastic chuckle. "No. Fine is how I'd describe dining at a five star restaurant in Paris having an unobstructed view of the Eiffel Tower while savoring a glass of vintage Cabernet Sauvignon and looking into the gorgeous chocolate brown eyes of a man named Pierre who speaks little English but has one hell of a sexy accent." Cat pauses for dramatic effect. "You see what I just did there. Fine...as in a fine dining experience. Well, that was more than fine." Cat's eyebrows perk up at the memory before getting back to her point. "Fine is not how one describes running CatCo Worldwide Media in lieu of the CEO's absence."

"I'm not sure I follow." James said, crossing his arms across his chest. 

"Then follow this, Mr. Olsen." Cat responded, marching elegantly back around to her desk. "My sources have been keeping me in the loop while I was away. And it seems as though you were out of the office more than you were in it. Not only that, but magazine sales saw a steady decline until Kara's Cadmus/Lena Luthor piece single-handedly tripled sales overnight, thus bringing CatCo magazine out of the lining of dog crates and back front and center onto every newsrack worldwide...where it belongs."

"With all due respect, Cat. Kara's Luthor pieces aren't the only ones doing well." James sat back against the couch, looking a bit smug. "The Guardian articles have gained quite a following too." 

Cat smirked at James. He'd played right into it...just like she knew he would. 

"Funny you should mention that oversized...overhyped hunk of scrap metal with a fancy shield."

James sat up straight with a scowl on his face. 

"That shield is state of the art technology. Not to mention The Guardian has helped out countless times with crimes and alien attacks...some not even mentioned in the press. He's doing good things."

"That's up for debate." Cat scoffed.

"What do you have against Guardian?" James asked defensively. 

"It's not what I have against Guardian...although I do find vigilante wannabe heroes quite pathetic."

James stood up, the tension in his jaw showing while he maintained his composure. 

"The Guardian is out there protecting the city, just like Supergirl."

"Then maybe The Guardian should find a different publication to cover his...antics."

"You can't just cover Supergirl all the time. Readers are going to get bored."

"On the contrary, Mr. Olsen. Supergirl is as popular as ever. Case in point..." 

Cat grabbed a remote control from her desk, turned to the television screens behind her and pressed a button. Various poll graphics popped up across the many screens. 

"What you see here, Mr. Olsen are various polls taken last week by members of my staff at my request, of course. You'd be surprised how hard it is to get a cell signal in the middle of the African dessert, but I digress..."

Cat walked over to the middle-most screen and pointed up to it. 

"This is a general population poll...meaning it's a combination of men and women polled at random who were asked...who would you trust most to save you from imminent peril...Supergirl or The Guardian?" As you can see... eighty-two percent said Supergirl, while only twenty-two percent said The Guardian." 

"You're basing your judgement against The Guardian on superficial and inconsistent magazine polls?" James commented with sarcasm. 

"James, darling, if there's one thing you know about me, it's that I cover any and all inconstancy arguments that may arise. I'm the queen of de-bunking. So don't even try to pull a Donald Trump "alternative facts" or fake news angle on me because I will hand it right back to you with multiple sources, quadruple fact-checking, and sources to back up those sources...shall we continue?" Cat finished, giving James a stern rise of her eyebrow.

James clenched his jaw again and Cat didn't wait for a response. She walked over to the next screen. 

"Now, here you have another poll, this time among men only. The same question was asked...who would you trust more to save you from imminent peril...Supergirl or The Guardian? Seventy-three percent said Supergirl while thirty-seven percent said The Guardian. The second question...and this was more for entertainment purposes...who would you rather go on a date with...Supergirl or The Guardian? No surprises here that eighty-five percent said Supergirl while a mere fifteen percent said The Guardian. Hmmm...looks like not even the gay men like The Guardian."

Cat gave James a sly smirk before walking over to the next screen.

"Don't worry though, I'm sure the women won't disappoint. I mean who could resist a man in a heavy metal alloy suit, right?"

James crossed his arms over his chest as a response. 

"So, among the women asked who they would trust more to save them from imminent peril...Supergirl or The Guardian...let's see...oh, well, that's interesting. Eighty-one percent said Supergirl while nineteen percent said The Guardian. Hmmm...maybe it's because The Guardian is rather new to the hero scene...just needs more time to get settled in. Surely he fared better with the date question, yes?" 

Cat glanced over at James, who looked like he'd had quite enough already. But Cat wasn't finished.

"Well, well, well...would you look at this. Ninety percent of women polled said they'd rather date Supergirl, while ten percent said The Guardian. Behold the power of the lesbians, James. And the bisexual women...and the bi-curious...the pansexuals...and hell, even the straight women who still can't help but wonder what's going on under that suit of hers-"

"Okay, okay, enough. I get the picture." 

Cat turned around to face James with a sly grin. 

"Excellent, Mr. Olsen. So know that brings us to the next problem."

"Which is?" 

"Whether or not you choose to return to your position as senior photographer for CatCo magazine or pursue being The Guardian full time. Although...the latter most likely won't pay the bills."

"I don't know what you're getting at, but-"

"I'm not getting at anything, Mr. Olsen. Don't insult my intelligence. Do you want to keep your old job or do you want to spend your time roaming the streets picking up Supergirl's leftovers? I'd say I'm being very generous by giving you the choice, wouldn't you?"

"I'm gonna have to think about it." James replied with a sigh.

"Really? Because the last time I checked, being a superhero isn't exactly a lucrative business. But I could always check with Supergirl. Maybe she could help you come up with some sort of fund The Guardian fundraiser? Although with those kind of poll numbers..." Cat pointed behind her as she continued. "I don't see that working out for you. So...here's what we're going to do. Either you're at the Mayor's award ceremony this evening with your camera working for me or you're not. The choice is up to you. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got work to do before the ceremony. You can see yourself out."

Cat turned back to her television screens as a speechless James trudged out of her office. Her eyes focused in on the women's poll...

"Now...inquiring minds would love to know...I wonder if Lena Luthor participated in that poll?" Cat mused to herself with a small grin before heading to her desk to get back to work.

*******************************************************  
Meanwhile...in Kara's office...  
*******************************************************

Kara was sitting atop her desk since her office was lacking in basically everything, including an extra chair, while helping herself to a second container of potstickers. Lena watched on, sitting in Kara's desk chair, with an amused look on her face. Kara looked over at the CEO mid-bite.

"What?"

Lena chuckled.

"Nothing. It's just...your insane appetite...it never ceases to amaze me."

Kara swallowed her bite of potstickers self-consciously, a slight blush rising in her cheeks.

"I know. I'm sorry. I just...well we haven't..."

Lena stood from the chair and walked over to Kara. She stepped in close and reached up to brush some remnants of potstickers from the corner of Kara's lips. 

"Don't apologize." Lena gave Kara's cheek a slight caress with her thumb. "We haven't...what?" Lena's eyes were gentle as she looked up at Kara.

"I mean...we haven't really talked about the fact that I'm an alien and what that means to you...or for us." 

"And the fact that you could eat more than an entire NFL football team?" Lena smiled at Kara.

Kara let out a nervous laugh and nodded.

"But I'm being serious though. We should...talk about it. I just-"

"It's not going to change anything between us, Kara. I assure you. But I would love to hear about your life on Krypton and all of the far out galaxies you've visited...which I'm quite jealous of, but the way."

Kara let out a small chuckle as she smiled and raised her hand up to cover Lena's hand resting on her cheek while she leaned into Lena's hand. She closed her eyes, letting herself feel the warmth of Lena's touch.

"We'll get there, yeah?" Lena said softly.

"Yeah." Kara whispered back.

"In the meantime..." Lena reached behind Kara, grabbed a potsticker, and brought it up to Kara's lips. The Kryptonian smiled, eyes still closed as she opened her mouth and let Lena pop her favorite food in. "Can't have my favorite alien starving to death now, can I?" 

"Nope" Kara replied in between chews, a satisfied grin on her face. 

Lena was about to reach for another potsticker when her cell phone started to ring. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled it out.

"That's odd." Lena said, looking at her phone.

"What's wrong?" Kara asked, hopping off the desk and stepping in next to Lena. 

"The number is blocked. Only a handful of people have this number." Lena responded, her brow furrowing with concern.

"Don't answer it yet. I'll call Alex." 

Lena nodded and waited for Kara to get in touch with her sister. Kara quickly dialed Alex's number. Thankfully she picked up after the first ring. 

"Kara, is everything okay?"

"Alex, Lena has an incoming blocked number calling on her personal cell."

"It's still ringing?"

"Yeah." Kara replied, looking down at the ringing phone in Lena's hand. 

"Hold on, I'll tell Winn to activate the location tracker. He's on it now. Give it a few seconds...Okay, tell her to go ahead and answer it. Put it on speaker so we can record the audio."

Kara took her phone away from her ear, keeping Alex on the line. Kara gave Lena a reassuring look and motioned to the ringing phone.

"Go ahead and answer. Put it on speaker."

Lena nodded and hit the accept button on her phone screen. She set the call to speakerphone before answering...

"Hello?" 

"Hello, my darling daughter. Good of you to take my call."

"Mom. Of course. What can I do for you?" Lena replied, trying to keep her composure. 

"Well now that's a loaded question, isn't it, dear."

"What do you want, mother?"

"It's come to my attention that you intend to go through with attending the Mayor's ceremony this evening, despite my warnings of what would happen if you were to do so."

"Well I guess you'll just have to wait and see whether or not that's true when you watch it on the evening news. Or do they allow you to watch the news in prison, mother?"

"I wouldn't take this lightly, Lena. This is no laughing matter."

"I'm not laughing, mother. Nor am I taking it lightly. We won't let you hurt her."

"We? Has my daughter gone and gotten herself some friends now? How cute. You were always such a lonely child."

Lena felt Kara's hand rub up and down her back, telling her silently that she wasn't alone anymore. Lena drew strength from Kara's show of affection and nearly sighed in relief as Kara's hand came to a rest upon the small of her back.

"Just cut to the chase, mother. Why are you calling?"

"I would have thought it was obvious, Lena. But I'll make it easy for you and your friends listening in easy to understand...stay away from the ceremony tonight or...say goodbye to Supergirl. This is your last warning."

The line went dead.

"No! Dammit!" Lena cursed as she gripped the phone tightly in her hand. 

"It's okay...here." Kara's voice was soothing as she gently took the phone from Lena's hand and placed it on her desk. 

"Did you get all that, Alex?" Kara asked after raising her phone back up to her ear.

"Affirmative. We'll analyze the data and get back to you ASAP. Just...take care of her, okay?"

"Always." Kara replied to her sister before hanging up her phone and setting it down next to Lena's on her desk. 

She stepped in closer to the distraught CEO and took her into her arms. Lena melted into the strong embrace and hung on for dear life. They were both safe there, in Kara's tiny, windowless office...in each other's arms. Kara rubbed Lena's back as Lena buried her face into the crook of Kara's neck. They were both safe...for now...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found it difficult to write Cat. I wanted to make sure I got her personality and wit down right. How'd I'd do? Let me know. Hopefully I did the awesomeness that is Cat Grant justice. ;)


	21. The Thirst is Real

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So...episode 2x13 happened. I was going to go on a rant about it...but I'm too exhausted from watching Kara's character turn into a contradictory mess...
> 
> The Supergirl writers are a hypocritical mess too. Why have Mr Mxyzptlk hardcore troll Mon-El with the truth about how lame he is, have Kara tell Mon-El how annoying and chauvinistic he is, and have Kara tell Mr. M that love shouldn't be forced, only to have her decide...oh well, I'll still be with Mon-El. Just...don't. 
> 
> ...and I guess Sanver "centric" episode means less than five minutes of screen time with a very heavy issue in regards to Maggie that they totally glossed over. Is Sanvers turning into queer-bait? I really hope not. Come on...Maggie and Alex both deserve more than that...we deserve better than that. And Kara...of course she deserves better. Guess that's why we have our Supercorp fanfiction. ;) 
> 
> Okay...I'm done...
> 
> In this chapter...Lena gets to go to the DEO. And it's really just a low-key filler chapter. Something enjoyable to read I hope before we get to the ceremony. ;)

When Kara arrived at the DEO, Alex, J'onn, Winn, Maggie, and seemingly every DEO agent available were working on something. The main operations room was buzzing with determination and a bit of apprehension. Maggie spotted Kara and grabbed Alex's elbow as she motioned over to Kara, who had stopped to take in all of the action happening in the room. Alex and Maggie walked over to Kara while she was still studying one of the monitors. 

"Kara, where's Lena?" Alex asked, looking at her sister with concern.

Kara finally looked away from the monitors, her furrowed eyebrow crinkle softening a bit at the mention of Lena's name. 

"She's still down at the main desk filling out all of that stupid disclosure paperwork. You know, you could have had her already cleared so she didn't have to waste time doing that. You know we can trust her. She's proven that so many times now. What more does she have to do? She-"

"Hey, hey...it's okay. Calm down." Alex reached out and rubbed Kara's shoulder in reassurance. "I do trust her. We all do. I'll go see if I can help speed things along, okay?"

Kara nodded slightly.

"Thanks, Alex."

Alex gave her sister a slight smile before walking off down the hallway. 

"You okay, little Danvers? I mean...despite the death threats and all." Maggie let out a small chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. 

Kara's lips perked up into a tiny smile. She always appreciated Maggie's no nonsense, non-subtle approach to things. 

"I'm okay. It's Lena I'm worried about."

"Yeah, I know. How's she doing?"

"She...she's putting up a brave front, but deep down, I think she's scared."

"Of her mom and Cadmus?" 

"No, that's the thing. She's not at all afraid to take on Lillian and whatever she has planned. It's that she's afraid..." Kara's voice trailed off as she became lost in thought.

"She's afraid of what, little Danvers?" Maggie asked.

Kara looked back at Maggie. The detective looked genuinely concerned. 

"She's afraid of something happening to me." Kara replied softly.

"Well, that's understandable. I mean she knows what Supergirl means to National City."

"No, Maggie, you don't understand. It's...not about Supergirl with her. She sees me as...Kara. I don't know, I...nobody has ever seen me the way she does...except maybe for Alex. And now you."

Maggie gives Kara a slight dimpled grin, touched that she's now considered important enough to Kara for her to admit that...that Maggie does see Kara and not just Supergirl.

"I get it, Kara. I know how important it is to feel seen as more than what society perceives of you."

Kara and Maggie fall silent for a moment, taking in the weight of their discussion. The silence is broken by a pair of footsteps coming down the hallway. Maggie and Kara turn to see Alex and Lena approaching. 

"Look who I found." Alex said, grinning when she sees Kara's somber looking face break into a shy smile. 

Lena approached Kara, also with a shy grin. She hesitated for a moment before deciding to take a chance. The CEO wrapped her arms around Kara's neck and pulled her in for a hug. Kara's arms wrapped around Lena in return and both women sighed contentedly into the hug. Lena leaned in so that her lips were at Kara's ear.

"Hi." Lena said softly.

"Hi." Kara said back through her smile.

"Am I allowed to hug Supergirl in public?" Lena whispered.

Kara let out a gentle chuckle.

"I'd say yes. But I'm not sure what rules the DEO may have against it."

"Well...it's a good thing I'm not one to play by the rules." Lena replied in a slightly sexier whisper.

Lena pulled away, not paying any attention to Alex's surprised look or Maggie's knowing smirk. Her eyes were intensely locked with Kara's. And Kara was definitely blushing now...if she hadn't already been before. Alex was about to say something, but J'onn had approached and stood beside Kara. He greeted Lena with a cordial smile. 

"Ms. Luthor. So good to see you again. Welcome to the DEO."

"Thank you, Director Henshaw. It all looks...quite impressive." Lena responded.

"If you'd like, I can show you around before we have to get down to award ceremony business." 

J'onn stepped forward and offered his arm. Lena obliged and latched her arm through Hank's. As they started to walk away, Lena looked back at Kara. Kara gave her a slight wave, making Lena grin before turning her attention back to Hank. Alex stepped over to Kara, not able to keep quiet any longer. 

"Okay, what was that?" Alex asked.

"What was what?" Kara responded, still looking at Lena until J'onn and the CEO turned a corner out of sight. 

"You know...that!" Alex exclaimed motioning to Kara and then over to where Lena and J'onn had been. "You two were apart literally for like five minutes and she acted like she hadn't seen you in...well forever." 

"I..." Kara didn't have an explanation. She just shrugged her shoulders.

Maggie started chuckling, prompting Alex and Kara to look over at her. 

"What's so funny, Sawyer?" Alex asked, still not believing how intense Lena and her sister had been in front of them.

"The thirst is real, little Danvers. The thirst is real." 

Alex rolled her eyes at her girlfriend before grabbing her hand and leading her away from Kara towards the control station. 

"But I'm not thirsty, Maggie. I drank plenty of water on the way here." Kara replied, a confused look on her face. 

Maggie's laugh was louder this time and Alex nudged her in the side with her elbow as they made their way over to Winn at his computer. 

 

***************************************************************

J'onn had just about finished showing Lena around the DEO. Of course, the CEO wasn't allowed to see everything since she was a civilian. But she'd appreciated being able to have the chance to see what was allowed and chat with him about technology along the way. And she was thrilled that she was getting a taste of what the Supergirl side of Kara did and was surrounded by when she wasn't busy saving National City or writing articles as Kara Danvers. J'onn stopped them in front of a large door. He typed in a code and motioned for Lena to enter before him.

"This is Supergirl's training room. It's where she trains with Alex and myself to help make sure she's properly prepared for whatever threat she may have to face. The room is equipped with low-grade Kryptonite so that Alex and Supergirl have an equal playing field."

"But...won't that hurt her...the Kryptonite?"

"It's at a low enough level that it lowers her powers but won't harm her. Don't worry, Ms. Luthor, it's perfectly safe."

Lena's brows furrowed with concern, which J'onn picked up on. It didn't take a psychic Martian to understand what Lena was feeling.

"You care about her, don't you?" J'onn asked sincerely.

"I do." Lena replied, looking up at him. 

"I may be psychic, but it didn't take my powers to see the connection the two of you have."

"Psychic?" Lena asked, only a little surprised. 

"It's a Martian thing." J'onn said, smiling slyly. 

"Of course." Lena replied with a small chuckle.

J'onn escorted Lena out of the training room as they started to head down the hallway back towards the main control room where everyone else was. As they approached, Lena stopped, watching what was going on before her. Everyone seemed to be hard at work as she scanned the room for Kara. J'onn stopped when he realized Lena wasn't beside him anymore. He looked back at Lena and then followed her line of sight to see what she was looking at. Supergirl was standing in the middle between Alex and Maggie. They were looking up at a large screen that had the award ceremony location schematics on display. Supergirl pointed up to the screen and said something to the other two women. Alex and Maggie nodded their heads. Lena watched on as J'onn approached.

"It's going to be fine, Ms. Luthor. She's determined to keep you safe. She wants you to be able to enjoy the ceremony and get the hero's recognition you deserve."

"Did your psychic powers tell you that?"

"No, actually. She's told me that...nearly every time she sets foot in the DEO to talk about matters involving the award ceremony." J'onn let out an amused chuckle at Lena's surprised face before walking away. 

Lena stayed put for a few more minutes taking it all in before following J'onn out into the control room. 

*********************************************************************

Things were wrapping up at the DEO and it was almost time for everyone to head over to the ceremony venue to prepare. Lena had spent most of her time with Maggie going over last minute security details. She didn't have much of a chance to see Kara aside from a few wayward glances and small grins they'd given each other from across the room when they'd caught each other looking. 

Kara finally had the chance to go to Lena after finishing up some last minute details with Alex and Winn. Her eyes searched for the CEO and found her over near a work station table talking to Maggie. She quickly made her way over, thankful that Maggie got the hint and left so the two of them could talk. 

"Hey." Kara started, giving Lena her adorably shy smile.

"Hey...Supergirl." Lena gave her a small smile back.

"I'm sorry things were so crazy that I didn't have a chance to come talk to you."

"There's nothing to be sorry for, Kara. This is your work, I get it. Plus, Detective Sawyer kept me plenty busy with security protocols." 

"Oh well...that's good then. So ummmm...I guess we should get ready to go?"

"Which way to the exit, Supergirl?" Lena asked in a playful tone. 

"I'd be happy to escort you out, Ms. Luthor." Kara replied in her hero voice. She stepped closely beside Lena and offered her arm like J'onn had done earlier.

Lena couldn't help but be amused, holding back the chuckle that threatened to escape. Kara was truly the epitome of adorable...even as Supergirl. She latched her arm through Kara's and allowed Supergirl to escort her down one of the DEO's long hallways. 

"Tell me, Supergirl...do all DEO visitors get such special treatment from the resident superhero?" 

They had reached the exit doors, and Kara stopped, turning to Lena with a slight blush on her cheeks. 

"Well not all DEO visitors are as...special as you, Ms. Luthor." 

"Yeah?" Lena replied

Kara nodded, her bright blue eyes lighting up with sincerity. 

"Shall we head out?" Lena asked.

"We shall." Kara responded.

Kara pushed the door open and held it for Lena. Lena stepped outside. Kara was about to follow when she heard running footsteps coming down the hall behind her. She turned to see Maggie jogging towards her carrying two bottle of water. Maggie stopped in front of Kara and caught her breath before handing the bottles to Kara. 

"For the thirst, little Danvers...for the thirst." 

Maggie gave Kara a playful wink and gave her a quick pat on the shoulder before turning around and heading back the way she came. Kara stood holding the bottles with a very confused look on her face. She shrugged it off at Maggie just being weird and stepped outside to join Lena. 

Lena looked confused as Kara approached her with the two water bottles in her hands. 

"Maggie gave me these." Kara said, looking just as confused as Lena.

"Water? She wanted to give us...bottles of water before we left? How odd."

"Yeah. For some reason she keeps thinking we're thirsty?"

"Thirsty?" Lena inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah...after we hugged when you came back with Alex. She said the thirst was real. Which was really weird because I wasn't thirsty."

Lena's face broke out into an amused grin once she finally got what the detective was really talking about. Between the realization and Kara's still confused face, she couldn't help but let out an amused giggle.

"What? You're laughing too? Maggie laughed when I said I wasn't thirsty. Oh Rao...it means something totally different doesn't it?"

"I'm afraid it does." Lena replied through her chuckles. 

"So then what does it mean? Please tell me." Kara said as she gave Lena her best pouting face. 

Lena stepped in close to Kara. She leaned up so that her lips were at Kara's ear like earlier inside the DEO.

"I could tell you." Lena whispered softly into Kara's ear.

Lena placed her index finger at Kara's ear and traced it against Kara's skin, across her cheek and jawline. She then rested her hand on Kara's chin as she shifted to Kara's other ear. Kara could feel the goosebumps rising on her arms and neck. Lena leaned in close so that her lips were almost touching Kara's ear...

"Or I could show you." Lena whispered to Kara. 

Lena pulled away from Kara, giving her a seductive smile before grabbing one of the water bottles from Kara's hands.

"But we have an award ceremony to get to." Lena gave Kara a wink before walking away. 

Kara's mouth dropped as she watched the CEO leave. The goosebumps hadn't left and her mouth suddenly felt very...very dry. And in that moment, Kara Danvers realized that Maggie had been right...the thirst was very real...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thirsty Supercorp... anyone else need a bottle of water? ;)


	22. Jealousy...Thy Name is Not Lena

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena has a nervous moment while getting ready for the ceremony and she and Maggie have a fun chat...because who doesn't love a Lena/Maggie interaction? Maggie escorts Lena to the venue. Kara and Lena talk. James shows up...James and Kara talk. And Lena schools Maggie and Alex on jealousy. 
> 
> Because...I'm still not over the horrible Kara/Mon-El pairing that was forced upon us even after the idiot acted like a pompous, jealous, testosterone-infused, controlling piece of sh*t. ;)

Lena took one last look in the full-length mirror hanging in her bedroom. She'd opted for the CEO power-suit look for the ceremony. It was a dark, hunter green color, making the intensity of her eyes all the more intense. The outfit had matching pants and a skirt...she'd decided to go with the pants. They were tailored to hug all her curves perfectly yet hung with the grace and style she always put forth. She wore a bright white button-up blouse beneath the jacket and completed the outfit with her favorite necklace...a two banded gold choker. Her hair was pulled up into her signature slicked back ponytail, and she'd gone for a subtle, earth-tone look with her makeup.

She took in a deep breath and let the exhale out slowly as she regarded herself in the mirror, trying to calm her nerves. Of course there was the obvious, most glaring thing to be nervous about...Supergirl's safety. Even if she hadn't fallen in love with Kara, she still would have been concerned about Supergirl putting herself out there for her...a Luthor. But now the stakes were higher. Now it went way beyond a Super versus a Luthor. Now it was a matter...of love. And Lena wasn't exactly sure what to do with that notion. It was never something she had encountered before. She'd only ever been concerned about herself and surviving as a Luthor. That's how it had to be. But then a certain blonde reporter had come into her life and suddenly she'd been seeing things in a whole new light. 

The less obvious thing (at least to everyone else) that Lena was nervous about was the ceremony in general. This was going to be her first public appearance since the Medusa virus incident. Aside from her interview with Kara, she'd kept a low profile. She knew the city needed time to calm down from the latest Luthor tirade. And as much as she wanted to come out and defend herself as the good person she was, it just hadn't been the right time. But was there ever going to be a good time when one's last name was Luthor? So she was going to go to the ceremony and put up her usual stoic front for the cameras. But inside...she was a mess of nerves. 

She'd just finished putting in her earrings when there was a knock at the foor. Lena looked down at her watch, noting the time. It was most likely Detective Sawyer coming to escort her to the ceremony. She slipped her feet into her black heels and headed out to get the door. When she got to the door, she leaned into it, hand on the doorknob.

"What's she safe phrase?" Lena asked.

"Potstickers or bust." 

Lena smiled at Maggie's familiar voice as she opened up the door and welcomed the detective in. Maggie walked in, greeting Lena with a smile as Lena shut the door behind her. 

"I didn't take you for a Chinese takeout kind of girl, Ms. Luthor. I figured five star dining and expensive wine was more your taste." Maggie gave Lena a playful wink.

Lena smirked at the detective, amused by her honest candor. 

"You wouldn't be wrong in that assessment, detective. Although I've recently been introduced to the fascinating world of potstickers." Lena mused.

Maggie's grin grew wider. 

"And while we're on the subject of food." Lena continued. "May I offer you something to eat before we leave? Or to drink perhaps? I have a few extra bottles of water to spare." Lena crossed her arms over her chest, trying to keep a straight face as she looked at Maggie sternly.

Maggie broke out into a full on laugh. Lena couldn't help it, and her attempt at looking serious failed as she smiled at the amused detective. 

"I'm sorry about that." Maggie responded through a final chuckle.

Lena raised her brow at the detective. 

"Okay, no I'm not. I'll admit...I get my kicks out of teasing Kara. It's just...too damn easy and funny! Come on...it really is funny." Maggie regained her composure before continuing. "So...does that mean lil' Danvers knows about the thirst now? I can't tease her about that one anymore?" 

Lena Luthor wasn't one to blush. But that didn't mean it didn't happen...occasionally. 

"I may have...shown her an example of what you meant in terms of...being thirsty before walking off and giving her a moment of...revelation." Lena replied, her blush fading and her knowing smirk returning. 

"Oh I like you, Luthor. We need to hang out more...grab a beer, play some pool. You do play pool, right?" Maggie asked with a hint of sarcasm. 

"I'm more of a chess woman." Lena stated as she walked over to the counter to grab her purse. 

"Of course you are." Maggie replied as Lena turned back to face the detective. "But seriously, I'm inviting you out to our next beer and pool night. And since you don't know how to play-"

"I never said anything about not knowing how to play, detective. And I can be...quite competitive."

Maggie's face lit up with a grin. 

"That's even better."

"How so?" Lena asked, trying to figure out where Maggie was going with her pool talk.

"Well who doesn't like a good bit of competition, am I right? Mix that in with the ever so suggestive angles with which you line up your shots while you know your girlfriend is looking and what you've got, dear Lena, is...two very thirsty Danvers sisters in the making." Maggie wiggled her eyebrows mischievously. 

This time Lena couldn't help but break out into an amused chuckle. 

"That's quite devious and sinful, Detective Sawyer." Lena paused while Maggie smirked at her. Lena returned the smirk. "And I absolutely approve." 

"Oh I definitely like you, Luthor. Come on, let's get you safely to the ceremony." 

As Maggie opened the door and stepped outside, Lena followed slowly, locking up. She couldn't help but smile. It was a genuinely happy smile. Because not only did she have Kara in her life...but she was starting to make real friends who were accepting and had no ulterior motive because of who she was. And for moment, she forgot about all of the nervousness that had been plaguing her thoughts earlier. For a moment she forgot...that she was a Luthor. 

***********************************************************************

Lena and Maggie arrived safely at the ceremony venue. The start time was still a few hours away, so there wasn't much of a crowd yet. Mostly just members of the press and media were mulling around getting set up. Lena had to admit...the setup was very impressive. And suddenly those damn nerves started kicking in again. Lena was looking out over the venue from backstage, letting her nervous thoughts run wild when Maggie gently nudged her. She looked over at the detective, who nodded her head over to the right of her.

Lena looked over to where Maggie was indicating to see Kara and Alex approaching from a distance. Alex was in her usual all black DEO attire, which contrasted starkly with the brightness that was Kara. The blonde was wearing a green and blue pastel sun dress with a long sleeved matching blue cardigan. Her hair was pulled up into a loose bun, with locks of blonde spilling out here and there onto her shoulders. To everyone else, she probably looked like typically adorable and sunny Kara Danvers. But to Lena...she looked like so much more. To Lena...she looked like confidence, beauty and strength. And dare she say it? Yes...Kara looked like...home. Lena smiled warmly at Kara as she got closer. Kara returned the smile shyly as and she and Alex stopped in front of them.

"Hi." Kara said, still smiling at Lena.

"Hi." Lena replied softly, still smiling in return.

Nobody said anything for a few moments as the Lena and Kara heart-eyes exchange said enough for the both of them. Finally Alex broke the silence by clearing her throat.

"Maggie, we need to go check on the...perimeter." Alex said, motioning behind her with her hand.

"Right, of course. We'll just leave you two alone for a second...you know, to quench the thirst." Maggie grinned slyly and grabbed Alex's hand before the two of them started walking off. 

Kara rolled her eyes playfully.

"I'm sorry about her. She seems to take great pleasure in torturing me." Kara looked away from Lena, trying to control the blush she felt rising to her cheeks.

Lena let out an amused chuckle and stepped in closer to Kara.

"No need to apologize. In fact, Detective Sawyer invited me to drink beer and play pool earlier."

"Oh....oh! Really? That...wow. I'm sorry, I would have invited you myself. But I didn't know if...I mean that's not what I had in mind for our first date. But we still could...that is, I mean-"

"Kara." Lena reached out and gently grabbed onto Kara's flailing hands. 

"Sorry. I just didn't want you to think I wouldn't want you hang out with my family and friends. Because I would totally love that."

"I'd love that too." Lena replied sincerely.

"Yeah?" 

Lena gave Kara a slight nod, which made her face light up like a Kara Danvers ray of sunshine. Lena was still holding onto Kara's hands as Kara took a step back and regarded the CEO.

"Wow. You look amazing...stunning...amazingly stunning?" 

Lena let out another amused chuckle as she shook her head slightly. She'd never get over the adorableness that was Kara Danvers. She didn't want to either. 

"Thank you Kara. And you also look-"

"Kara, can I talk to you for a minute? Oh I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt." 

Kara's hands left Lena's as she turned to find James standing behind her.

"It's not really a good time, James." Kara looked back at Lena apologetically. 

"It's important." 

Kara let out a frustrated sigh as James stepped forward, closer to Lena. 

"I'm sorry, I don't think we've met. James Olsen." 

James held out his hand. Lena gave James a friendly handshake and a small smile.

"Lena Luthor. I'm familiar with your work, Mr. Olsen. It's quite good."

"Thank you, Ms. Luthor. And congratulations on receiving the bravery award."

Lena nodded her head in thanks and then looked over at Kara. 

"If you two need to talk, it's quite alright. I can just wait here." 

"Are you sure?" Kara asked timidly. 

"Of course, Kara."

"Okay, thanks. Come on, James. Let's go over there and chat." 

Lena watched curiously as Kara walked away and James followed her. 

****************************************************************************

Kara led James over to a corner before stopping and turning around to face him.

"What's this about, James?"

"Well hello to you too."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize we were on friendly speaking terms these days. I guess The Guardian forgot to send me that memo."

"Kara, listen. I didn't come here to pick a fight, okay? I just need you to tell me the truth about something."

"Oh right...like you told me the truth about how you're out there playing vigilante hero?"

"Kara-"

"Look, James, I don't want to fight with you either. I hate it. I miss you. I miss by best friend."

"I miss you too. And I don't want us at odds with each other. But Kara...I need to know...did you tell Ms. Grant that I was The Guardian?"

"What? No! How could you even think that? It's not my secret to tell. She already knew. She said it was one of the reasons she came back to CatCo."

"I'm sorry, Kara. I just assumed because you and Cat have always been close and-"

"Well you assumed wrong, James. You know I don't agree with what you're doing, but I would never out you like that."

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry...again. It's just...well then how did she know? James gave Kara a reassuring smile.

"Come on, this is Cat Grant we're talking about here. What doesn't she know...even when she's off...scaling Mt. Kilimanjaro." 

James and Kara both chuckled, breaking the tension between them. 

"Look, I know I've been a total ass lately, but can we...do you think we can try again with the whole friends thing?" James asked tentatively. 

"We can." Kara responded. "But I'm still not okay with the whole Guardian thing. Just as long as you understand that."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that anymore. Cat sort of...gave me an ultimatum."

"Oh really?" Kara's eyebrow raised inquisitively. 

"Really. So I'm here covering the ceremony with my camera...not as The Guardian."

Kara gave James a proud smile. 

"I'm very happy to hear that."

"Figured you would be." 

"We don't all have to wear capes to be heros, you know. Or...I guess...heavy metal suits?"

"Damn I loved that suit!" James exclaimed, clutching his heart for dramatic effect.

Kara laughed.

"It was pretty bad ass." Kara responded. 

"Right?" James said through a laugh.

"But you know what? Kara replied as she raised her hand to James' shoulder and let it rest there. "I think you can do equally brave and heroic things out of that suit...if not more so." 

James pulled Kara in for hug. Kara hugged him back, happy to have her friend back. When they parted, James looked over Kara's shoulder at Lena, who was now standing with Alex and Maggie chatting. He noticed though, that Lena's eyes were focused on Kara. 

"So...you and Lena, huh?" James asked with a knowing but gentle smirk. 

Kara stepped back from James and looked away from him, then at the floor, then back up at him before nervously pushing her glasses up onto her nose. 

"It's...well I...we. You see..." Kara let out an exasperated sigh. Then she couldn't help by smile. "Yes. Me and Lena." 

James' grin got wider. 

"That's great, Kara. I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you, James. that really means alot coming from you."

"Does she know you're Supergirl though?" James asked with a slight tease in his voice. 

"Yeah, she knows. But it's a really looooong story."

James lets out a hearty chuckle. 

"Maybe you can tell me over a game night?"

"Yes. That sounds...I would love that. Please come here." 

Kara pulled James into another hug. She was so grateful that she and James were on good terms again. 

**********************************************************************

Lena had been watching James and Kara the entire time. Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, she could tell there seemed to be a variety of emotions passing between the two of them. She hadn't heard Maggie and Alex approach. 

"I'm sure it's nothing." Alex said, interrupting Lena's thoughts. 

"Hmmmm?" Lena replied as Kara and James hugged for the second time.

"Hopefully they're just making up...as friends I mean. They had a bit of a falling out."

"And why would I think it was anything more than friends, Agent Danvers?" Lena asked, turning to Alex.

"Oh, well..." Alex hesitated. 

"Just spill it, Danvers." Maggie stated, sensing that her girlfriend had suddenly become nervous. 

"James and Kara used to...date?" Alex said with a cringe.

"Date? As in you're not sure if they dated?" Maggie responded. 

Alex looked back at Lena who was studying her face, questions in her eyes. 

"They never really became a thing. Kara had a crush on him for the longest time but the timing was never right. And then it was and they tried...but nothing ever came of it."

"Okay...well, that's not anything to be worried about. You know...since they never were...a thing?" Maggie replied, trying to soften the blow for Lena since Kara was currently looking quite chummy with her ex. 

It doesn't matter, Detective Sawyer." Lena then looked over at Alex. "Agent Danvers." Lena then looked straight ahead at Kara, who was still talking to James. "It wouldn't matter if they had been together...romantically for whatever amount of time. Kara is her own woman. And I trust her...implicitly. Jealousy is for weak-minded, petty people who have no confidence in themselves or their partner." 

Alex and Maggie nodded silently, completely impressed with Lena's stoic response. Lena watched on as Kara waved good-bye to James and turned to walk towards her. Kara's smile widened when her eyes met Lena's. The blonde stopped in front of the CEO, raised up to plant a gentle kiss on her cheek, and then whispered into her ear...

"Can we go spend some time together before I have to go all Supergirl?" 

Lena nodded and Kara took her by the hand and led her away. Alex and Maggie looked on in awe. 

"Danvers, I think we just got majorly schooled on jealousy and relationship goals."

Alex could only nod in response. Maggie looked over at her girlfriend and chuckled. 

"Come on, Danvers." Maggie took Alex's hand in hers. "They aren't the only couple who can bring on the thirst."

Maggie gave her girlfriend a sexy smile as she led her away...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that...Supergirl writers who think Mon-El is so great, is how you do a healthy, supportive, and trusting relationship. Everyone should have #LenaGoals. Is that a hashtag? I think it should be! ;)


	23. Of Baseball and Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You guys... I just can't anymore with Mon-El. I can't. Episode 2x14 had the same old bullsh*t with his insecurities and not listening and seriously...Kara asked him to keep the relationship on the down low and next thing he does and goes and gloats about it at the DEO? Like he seriously said...go ahead, be jealous. What?! 
> 
> I also can't with letting Mon-El coming between Alex and Kara. Their relationship is the best thing about the show...always has been. Just...no.
> 
> The short Maggie/Alex scene at the end...was amazing. Not because Alex was devastated, of course, but because it showed what a true, healthy, and supportive relationship Sanvers has. Why couldn't that scene have been longer? I'm just going to sigh in frustration over in the corner now. In the meantime...
> 
> Here is a short but sweet chapter of just Lena and Kara. Because...I needed it. ;)

The awards ceremony was being held at National City's baseball stadium. It was a venue that held a lot of fond memories for Kara. Jeremiah had taught the Kryptonian everything he knew about baseball. Kara, Alex, and their father would spend lazy summer afternoons playing catch or practicing their batting skills. And Kara loved every minute of it. Playing baseball with her family...it helped her feel normal. It gave her a sense of belonging. And when Eliza would come outside with a huge pitcher of freshly-squeezed lemonade to hydrate her athletes...well it didn't get feeling more human than that. 

Jeremiah just happened to know the groundskeeper for National CIty Stadium. So before every home game, he'd take his daughters, dressed up in their baseball caps and baseball jerseys and arrive plenty early. The groundskeeper would let them in and they'd get to watch from the empty stadium seats as the players warmed up. Not only that, but they got to explore the stadium. This allowed them to scope out some of the best viewing places in the stadium...some that would go unnoticed unless you were a curious and explorative person. And Kara was one such person...

Kara and Lena found themselves sitting in one of Kara's secret stadium spots. It happened to be at the very top next to the huge scoreboard. Underneath that scoreboard was a opening in the cement large enough to seat two people. It was unreachable from the outside. But as a curious teenager, she'd found the tunnel that led to that opening. And there they sat, their legs dangling off the edge, watching as people started trickling in, far away from the coming crowds...lost in their comfortable silence. 

"This is quite the viewing spot, Ms. Danvers. Did you scope this out during your patrols this week?" Lena asked as she continued to gaze out over the stadium.

"No, actually. I've known about this spot long before then."

Lena's head turned to face Kara.

"Oh yeah? Do tell."

Karaa looked at Lena and gave her a small smile. Then she looked back out over the stadium.

"Jeremiah...my adoptive father...Alex's dad. He used to bring us here for all of the home games."

"I should have known you were the athletic type." Lena teased gently.

Kara chuckled with a shrug. 

"I wasn't. Not really. When I first arrived on Earth I was this awkward, confused alien kid who had no idea about much of anything Earth-wise. When the Danvers family took me in, they did their best to try to help me fit in...be more human. Jeremiah loved baseball. He and Alex taught me how to play. We would spend hours in the summertime playing catch or inviting neighbors over to play a game. Learning baseball...it helped teach me how to better control my abilities. Because as much as I would have loved to have crammed a line drive down arrogant Jake Miller's loud mouth taunting that girls can't play baseball...I would instead hit the ball just over his head over on third base so that Alex could touch home plate for the win." 

Lena chuckled and Kara smiled at the recollection. 

"Jeremiah would bring Alex and me here to the stadium hours before it was open to the public. We got to watch the players warm-up. We got to run around like crazy kids who had the empty stadium all to ourselves. We got to explore. So that's how we found where we're sitting right now. Once Alex and I discovered it...it became our favorite spot to hang out and watch the game with our hot-dogs, nachos, and sodas. We'd cheer on our team and just have so much fun. And for a while I could forget that I wasn't human. I could feel like...I belonged." 

Lena reached over and placed her hand atop Kara's, giving it a loving squeeze. Kara then intertwined their fingers, feeling the warmth that Lena's gesture offered. 

"Thank you for sharing that with me, Kara. It means a lot to me...to share moments like this with each other. I'll admit, it's not something I'm accustomed to. But I'll do my best to try to change that. I want to change that...for you. But I'm not sure that I have any fond childhood recollections to...tell you." Lena looked away from Kara, her gaze looking out at the stadium solemn and sad. 

"Hey. Look at me." Kara's free hand went up to cup Lena's chin, gently coaxing the CEO to look back at her. "I didn't tell you that story because I expected you to tell me something in return. I shared it with you because I wanted to. You don't need to change anything for me. I lo-" Kara paused for a moment. 

Lena's intense green eyes softened a bit. She'd caught what Kara had almost said. Kara closed her eyes for a second and took in a short breath. She exhaled, opening her eyes to Lena's emotion-filled gaze.

"You what, Kara?" Lena said, her voice nearly cracking with the emotions flowing through her. 

Kara's hand hadn't left Lena's face since she'd first cupped her chin. It slid to Lena's cheek, her her thumb giving Lena's skin a slight caress. 

"You don't need to change anything for me because I...love you...just the way you are." 

Lena's eyes closed. A single tear escaped and slid down her cheek, hitting Kara's thumb. She gently wiped it away and waited patiently as Lena took in a breath, held it for a moment, and then exhaled slowly. She kept her eyes closed.

"Loving a Luthor...can be complicated.

"Well then it's a good thing I tend to deal with complicated on a daily basis." Kara replied, making Lena chuckle.

Lena opened her eyes so find Kara smiling fondly at her. 

"Kara, I-"

"You don't have to say anything now. That's not why I said it. I said it because...I wanted it out there. Because it's what I've been feeling for a while now. I just didn't know how to express it or if you wanted me to express it or if you even felt the same way because what if you didn't and what if it was too soon and I scared you away...and...oh Rao, I'm rambling again, aren't I." 

Kara's cheeks flushed and she removed her hand from Lena's cheek and brought both hands up to her face to cover her eyes in embarrassment. Lena smiled at Kara's adorable moment. She shifted her body so that she was facing Kara, and then coaxed Kara to bring in her legs so she could be facing Lena. Lena reached up to remove Kara's hands from her face. But Kara kept her eyes closed. Lena sat cross-legged before bringing Kara hands down to her lap. She help onto Kara's hands as she spoke. 

"Now it's your turn to look at me." 

Kara let out a sigh before opening her eyes. Her nervous blue eyes met Lena's green, sincere ones. 

"You are the cutest thing ever when you're embarrassed, Kara Danvers." 

Kara's cheeks flushed again and she looked away while pushing her glasses up on her nose. 

"Look at me, Kara." 

Kara's eyes met Lena's once again. 

"You push your glasses up when you're nervous or flattered. You get that adorable eyebrow crinkle when you're frustrated or upset. You can eat an infinite amount of potstickers, pizza, and ice cream...all in one sitting. You wear your heart on your sleeve and you fight for what you believe in. You see the good in people. You saw the good in me when everyone told you not to. You didn't give up on me...when so many others had. And you somehow managed to thaw out my seemingly frost-bitten Luthor heart."

Lena took Kara's hand and placed it over her heart, covering it with both her hands. Kara's eyes had become a bit watery as Lena spoke.

"I love you too, Kara Zor-El Danvers. And I want to make you feel like you always belong...just like you did when you were here watching your baseball games with your family." 

Kara closed her eyes and let the tears that had been forming squeeze out and run down her cheeks. Lena scooted in closer, leaning in and reaching up to wipe the tears away. She let Kara gain her composure as Kara took Lena's hands in her own and held on. Kara let out a slight sniffle before opening her eyes. Then she grinned at Lena. 

"You know...loving a Super can also be complicated." 

"Really?" Lena cocked her head ever so slightly and raised her eyebrow quizzically. "You don't say." 

Kara let out an amused chuckle. She let go of Lena's hands and motioned to towards her. 

"Come here." 

Lena scooted up next to Kara, and Kara wrapped her arms around the CEO's neck, pulling her into a hug. Lena's arms reciprocated, wrapping around Kara's waist. Kara held Lena tight, placing a kiss atop her head. They both let out contented sighs as they reveled in the moment...of a Luthor and a Super in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm still salty about Mon-El...the worst character ever. Anyone else wanna throw some salt with me? ;) Then we can sigh together about the Supercorp love... :D


	24. To Trademark Supercorp

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lena have another small, fluffy moment...because it's not going to be fluffy again for a while after this chapter. ;) Also...Cat's back! She and Lena have a chat about Supergirl before the ceremony begins.

Kara and Lena watched from their spot beneath the stadium scoreboard as the crowds starting filling up the stadium little by little. They hadn't said much since finally telling each other how they felt. Lena's head rested on Kara's shoulder while Kara's arm was securely wrapped around the CEO. She'd occasionally bring her hand to Lena's back and rub it gently, making Lena curl up even closer to the blonde. Neither woman wanted that time together to end...that precious and rare alone time they both wished they could have more of. And maybe they could...after getting through the ceremony. Kara looked down at her watch and let out a sigh.

"We better get going soon. Alex is going to wonder where I am. We've got one last patrol of the area before the ceremony starts."

"You said soon...which implies we still have some time before we have to go."

Lena looked up at Kara with a playful pout on her lips. Kara couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. 

"Okay, fine. But just a few more minutes."

"I'll take it." Lena replied as her lips moved into a satisfied grin. 

Kara gathered Lena closer to her as they looked back out over the growing crowds. 

"Maybe we can catch a game here this summer." Lena said, looking to Kara as the blonde continued to look out over the stadium. "I mean, if you'd like to. I must confess though, I don't know much about baseball. The Luthors aren't exactly known for their...athletic prowess...but I mean...it could be fun...watching the game...together..." 

Kara turned to Lena with a huge grin. 

"Ms. Luthor, I do believe you're rambling."

Lena attempted a rebuttal but only managed blushing. She looked away, a small, shy smile playing on her lips before she slowly looked back up at Kara.

"That was absolutely adorable." Kara mused while regarding the embarrassed CEO. 

Lena leaned in and gave Kara a playful nudge on the shoulder with her own shoulder. 

"I don't do adorable, Kara Danvers. That's your area of expertise." Lena replied, trying to keep a straight face.

"Pffffft...puppies and kittens are adorable. Supergirl is not...adorable." 

Kara tried puffing her chest out with a pout on her lips. It made Lena laugh because...that was even more adorable. Kara's chest deflated at the sound of Lena's laughter. Lena laughing was something she definitely wanted to hear more of. It was like a soothing symphony to her ears. And she knew it wasn't something Lena did often enough. 

"Fine! I give up. I'm adorable." Kara exclaimed through a sigh, trying to act like she was annoyed. 

"I knew you'd see it my way." Lena responded, laughing a bit more. 

Kara's face softened into a loving smile as she Looked at Lena. 

"I love it when you laugh. It's beautiful." Kara said shyly. 

"I'm not used to it...laughing. Yet another thing a Luthor doesn't do." Lena replied with a hint of sorrow in her voice. 

"Well, you're in luck. Because now it's officially a top secret Supergirl mission...making Lena Luthor laugh." Kara wiggled her eyebrows playfully as she leaned in closer to Lena. 

"Is that so?" Lena said with a small smirk as she in turn leaned in closer to Kara.

"It's definitely so." Kara replied as she closed the distance between them. 

Their lips met in a tender kiss. Lena's hands slowly worked their way up Kara's arms and found Kara's cheeks, gently pulling her deeper into the kiss. Kara's lips were about to part for Lena when they were interrupted by Kara's cell phone. Kara reluctantly pulled away, both women a bit breathless from the growing intensity of the kiss. Kara pulled her phone out of her pocket to look at who was calling. 

"It's Alex." Kara said, her voice full of disappointment. 

"Time to go then, Supergirl?" Lena said as they both stood. 

"Yeah. But first..." 

Lena felt herself being pulled flush against Kara as Kara leaned in finished the kiss that had been interrupted moments before. The kiss was gentle yet purposeful...both women pouring their hearts into the melding of their lips. When their lips parted, they kept their foreheads pressed together, relishing their last few moments alone together. Kara's phone rang again. Both women let out a chuckle as they opened their eyes and gathered their composure. Kara held out her hand. 

"Shall we, Ms. Luthor?" 

Lena placed her hand in Kara's. 

"We shall, Ms. Danvers." 

They walked hand in hand down the tunnel ready to take on the events to come.

****************************************************************************

The award ceremony was set to begin in thirty minutes. Alex, Maggie, J'onn, and Supergirl were still out patrolling and securing the perimeter, and that meant Lena was alone backstage. She'd already given a few interviews. Now she was just waiting for Kara to return so she didn't feel so...out of place. She noticed James Olsen over in a corner taking pictures of a few of the ceremony participants. He lowered his camera and shook hands with the two women he'd been photographing before they walked away. After finishing fiddling with his camera, he looked around and spotted Lena. 

James had a handsome smile on his face as he approached Lena. 

"Ms. Luthor. Nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Mr. Olsen." Lena responded cordially. 

"I didn't get to congratulate you earlier...on getting the bravery award. It's quite an impressive feat. It's definitely something to be proud of. I know Kara's definitely proud of you."

"Thank you, James. That's very kind of you to say. But Supergirl and Director Henshaw were the true heroes that night."

"No, I disagree. Don't sell yourself short, Lena Luthor. You're definitely a hero too."

"Well thank you again. I'm humbled to be mentioned in the same breath as someone as heroic as Supergirl."

James let out an amused chuckle before he spoke.

"Kara told me about the two of you. Well...she didn't exactly tell me, I guessed...earlier when we were talking. And I just wanted to say I think it's great. I'm truly happy for you both."

"Oh...I...well thank you again, Mr. Olsen." Lena replied, not expecting that.

"Plus you've gotta admit...a Super and a Luthor together...that's an unexpected dynamic. And I've gotta say...I'm totally on board that ship."

Lena wasn't quite sure how to respond to James. First off, he was totally supporting her and Kara being together. And second...a Super and a Luthor? Then she realized...of course James knew Kara was Supergirl. He'd spent time in Metropolis photographing Superman. They were friends. Lena was still sorting out the thoughts in her head when James interrupted her train of thought. 

"Anyway, would you mind posing for a shot for CatCo?" James lifted up his camera as he spoke. 

Lena didn't have time to answer because Cat suddenly appeared by Lena's side. 

"Why don't you wait until Supergirl returns, James. That way we can get the exclusive shot of CatCo's darling Superhero next to National City's hottest young CEO." 

"Of course. Ms. Grant. I'll see you later then, Lena."

Lena nodded politely at James before he wandered off looking for something else to photograph. 

"Lena Luthor. I finally have a moment alone with you. Lucky me. And of course...lucky you." Cat gave Lena her charming Cat Grant smile.

"Do tell, Ms. Grant. What makes us so lucky?" Lena replied, amused by Cat's direct candor. 

"No need to play coy with me, Ms. Luthor. We're both grown, highly powerful...highly respected women." Cat stated, crossing her arms over her chest for emphasis. 

"I'm not sure I follow." Lena replied.

"You're going to make me come out and say it, aren't you?" Cat waited for a moment for a response from the Lena but only got an inquisitive eyebrow raise from the CEO. Cat rolled her eyes and stepped in closer to Lena, lowering her voice in case anyone happened to be listening in. "You and Supergirl...you're an item, a couple...ladies lovin' ladies. Do I need to continue, or do you get where I'm coming from?" 

"Ladies lovin' ladies?" Lena responded with amusement. "Is that some sort of Cat Grant trademarked phrase because it's quite...humorous."

"Of course it's not a signature CatGrant trademark phrase. I much more clever than that." Cat paused for dramatic effect. "But it was used as headline in our top power lesbians of 2016 article last year. And I did come up with that so..." Cat pauses, giving Lena an intriguing look. "You weren't on CatCo's list though. Hmmmm...how'd I miss that?" Cat asked as she mulled over how she'd not known about Lena Luthor's...preferences. 

"Probably because most of the media likes to focus on the Luthor aspect of my life. Not that it's anyone's concern who I chose to be with."

"Ordinarily that would be the case, yes." Cat replied. "But you see, now that you've chosen Supergirl as that person you want to be with...well, that changes things. She's a public figure, a hero. She's National City's golden girl of steel. And the press is going to-"

"Let me just stop you right there, Ms. Grant. Because I am not discussing my relationship with Kara with you or any other members of the press. I'm well aware of who she is as Supergirl and what that means to the city. But what I'm even more aware of is who Kara Danvers is. And I'm sure, Ms. Grant, that you know as well as I do what a beautiful, selfless, giving, and caring person she is. And I will fight tooth and nail to protect her from the kind of media scrutiny I've had to face because of my family name. So if you think I'm going to let you, Catco, or any other news outlet exploit her, then you haven't seen the last of the famed Luthor wrath, I assure you."

Lena took a step back from Cat and straightened out the imaginary wrinkles of her suit jacket as she attempted to compose herself. She wasn't usually one to lose her temper, even in a boardroom full of aggravating old men trying to undermine her work at L-Corp. She considered herself a fairly level-headed woman. But the implications made by Cat Grant about her and Kara's relationship becoming public had set her off. Hell, they hadn't even been on their first date yet. So they definitely hadn't discussed how to handle their relationship in the public eye. But the idea of Kara having to endure being picked apart by the media...it made Lena's heart hurt. She was a Luthor. She'd grown used to being raked over the coals by every news media outlet across the country. And Kara...Kara didn't deserve that. Suddenly, Lena's thoughts were interrupted by Cat.

"Well, Ms. Lena Luthor. Congratulations. You've passed the test. I'd say with flying colors, but that's so cliche. So let's just leave it at...you passed." Cat gave Lena a sly grin.

"I'm sorry, passed? Lena asked incredulously. 

"Of course. Kara is like a daughter to me. And I wanted to make sure you were in it for her sake...not just Supergirl's. You should have seen some of the creepy, stalker-like fan mail letters I read that were addressed to Supergirl care of CatCo. People tend to get obsessed with a persona of the celebrity. It's easy to do. I mean it's Supergirl. They get caught up in the hype until the next bit things comes along to...titillate their small minds. I just wanted to make sure you and I were on the same page when it comes to Kara."

"I assure you...we are. Just don't let me find you questioning my integrity ever again." Lena stated bluntly. 

"Agreed." Cat said with a satisfied smile as she held out her hand to Lena. 

Lena's serious face finally broke as her lips curled up into a small smile as well. She grasped Cat's hand and the two women shook on their newfound understanding and respect of each other. 

A gust of air blew around the women, and suddenly Supergirl landed beside them. Cat didn't miss the endearing smile Kara gave Lena before she turned to her. 

"Ms. Grant! Thank you for coming." 

Cat knew that Kara was keeping it formal due to all of the eager eyes watching them. She could tell Kara had wanted to lean in for a hug, but restrained herself, not wanting to draw attention or gossip. Because of course, Supergirl was a gentlewoman. 

"Of course, Supergirl. I'm happy to be here." Cat motioned over to James, and the photographer walked over to the trio of women. "If you don't mind, Supergirl, I'll need a few shots to accompany the interview piece we do after the ceremony." 

"Sure, of course." Kare replied as she walked over to Lena. She stepped in close, but not close enough to indicate anything was going on between the two of them. "Hi." she whispered in Lena's ear. 

Lena did her best to keep a straight face, because she really wanted to smile at the way Kara made sure to say hello to her. 

"Hello, Supergirl." She said softly so only Kara could hear it. 

Cat stepped over and stood on the other side of Kara, and the three women posed for a few pictures for James. By the time they were finished, Alex, Maggie, and J'onn had returned and the ceremony was about to start as they heard the announcer start speaking to the crowd out on stage. Lena and Kara were about to walk towards the stage entrance area when Cat quickly caught up and stopped them from behind. 

"Supercorp." Cat stated nonchalantly. 

Kara and Lena turned to Cat, both of their faces scrunched in confusion. 

"Huh?" Kara asked. 

"If you two ever do decide to come out as a couple, I'm naming you Supercorp. The name's being trademarked as we speak." Before Kara or Lena could argue, Cat continued. "Don't fight it, just be it...Supercorp." 

With that Cat strode away, leaving a speechless Kara and Lena to watch her go. Kara looked at Lena, her eyebrow crinkle out in full force. 

"Do I want to know what that's about?" She asked.

Lena let out a small chuckle.

"I think we just got...trademarked?" Lena replied, unable to completely understand herself. 

"I don't even...how does she...really?" Kara said, flustered. 

Lena could only shrug her shoulders as they heard cheering from the crowd outside. Kara looked over at Alex who was motioning them to come join them. Then she looked back to Lena and motioned for her to go ahead in front of her. 

"Well, Ms. Luthor. Shall we?" 

"We shall, Supergirl." 

The two women smiled at each other before Lena took the lead and headed towards the stage entrance with Supergirl following close behind. The ceremony was about to begin...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want that photo of Cat, Supergirl, and Lena. Three badass women together...perfection. :) 
> 
> On a side note... did ya'll read about episode 2x18 and how the writers are giving Lena an "old flame" in the form of some DUDE named Jack. Sounds like they are trying their hardest to deflect the Supercorp fandom. I think they underestimate us. ;)


	25. A Ceremony...Interrupted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So my update is a day late. I blame all of the major Supercorp feels I was having after episode 2x15. I mean between Kara's lip bite and the bridal style save, I'm still trying to recover. Seriously, how do three minutes of Kara/Lena scenes have more chemistry than all of the many hours of Kara/Mon-Manchild scenes combined?
> 
> I loved almost everything about this episode. It was like a season 1 throwback, all of the strong women characters kicking ass, the Danvers sisters scene with the spaceship (I didn't shed a tear...really) And finally, finally we got to see Maggie and Alex being badass girlfriends together. See what can happen when Mon-Manchild is reduced to minimal screentime? We get back the show we fell in love with!
> 
> I said I loved almost everything. What I didn't like was the annoying Kara/Mon-El scene we got yet again at the end of the episode. Did the writers seriously have Kara say...maybe being Supergirl and being with you is enough. What?!?! No! That goes against everything Kara stood for in Season 1, especially when J'Onn told her she could always work at the DEO full time and Kara told him how important it was for her to have her life as Kara. Ugh...rant over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah...so in this chapter, we have the awards ceremony...finally. ;)

So far everything was going smoothly during the ceremony. Alex with her DEO agents and Maggie with her NCPD officers were spread throughout the venue both inside and out, keeping a lookout for any potential threat. Kara had been keeping a vigilant eye on the crowds from backstage, using her X-ray vision to scan for any sort of danger. She hadn't come across anything out of the ordinary, so she took a short break from her lookout position and stepped over to Lena, who was chatting with J'onn just as Alex's voice came over her and J'onn's earpieces. 

"It's looking all clear out here for now, Supergirl."

"Copy that." Kara responded. "Detective Sawyer?"

"Outside perimeter is also clear." Maggie responded.

"Keep us posted of any changes. We're about to go out on stage." J'onn stated. "Excuse me, ladies." 

J'onn walked away from Kara and Lena to go keep an eye out from where Kara had been keeping watch earlier. Kara stepped in front of Lena. The CEO had a distant, pensive look on her face. Kara placed her hands on Lena's upper arms and gave them a gentle, reassuring rub. 

"Hey...are you okay?" 

Lena snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at Kara.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." The CEO responded quietly. 

"Nervous?" Kara asked as her hands trailed down Lena's arms and held her hands. There was nobody around backstage, so Kara took to opportunity to show her affection. 

"No, actually. I'm feeling good...and positive and...pretty damn humbled to be sharing the stage with Supergirl in a few moments." 

"Awwwwwww." Kara replied through an adorable chuckle. "Thank you. But I'm the one who should feel humbled. You were the real hero that night, not me or J'onn. You're the one who neutralized the Medusa virus. We were just like...your kicking Cyborg Superman's ass sidekicks!"

That made Lena's face brighten as she let out a small laugh. 

"Well...I'm pretty sure Supergirl is nobody's sidekick. So how about this? We can just be each other's hero and call it even."

"Yeah." Kara replied as her bright blue eyes lit up with happiness. "I'd like that."

For a moment, they held each other's eyes in a loving gaze, their hands still joined. Nothing was said...nothing needed to be said. 

"Supergirl, Ms. Luthor. That's our cue." J'onn said upon hearing the Mayor announce their names. 

"So that's our cue." Kara stated, eyes still locked on Lena's. 

"It is." Lena replied, also not breaking the gaze. 

Kara was the one to finally break eye contact as she leaned in next to Lena's ear. 

"I'm proud of you." Kara said softly. She pulled back to see Lena's lips spread into an endearing grin. 

Kara motioned her head over to where J'onn was patiently waiting for them. Kara and Lena made their way over to J'onn just as they heard applause erupting from the stadium. It was time for the three of them to finally get their well-deserved recognition. 

 

*************************************************************************

J'onn led the way out onto the stage, followed by Kara and then Lena. The applause from the crowd continued as they walked across the stage to meet the Mayor, who was waiting for them. They each shook the Mayor's hand and then stepped aside as she raised her microphone back up to continue her speech. Kara scanned the crowd, still keeping a lookout for potential threats. When she was satisfied things were still looking all clear, her eyes dropped to the front of the stage. Alex and Maggie were standing with their backs turned to the crowd, also keeping a watchful eyes out for anything suspicious. Satisfied that things were safe, Kara finally focused her hearing in on the Mayor's speech.

"Ladies, gentlemen, children, and off-worlders of National City. Today we have gathered here in solidarity with each other to honor three truly brave and selfless heroes. National City has always been a safe haven for all of its citizens...be they foreign or alien. And we will continue to welcome and protect all those who choose to call our fair city home. Not long ago, a terrorist organization tried to destroy a distinct part of National City's population in an act of xenophobic violence. Had they succeeded, alien life would cease to exist here, and most likely across the entire world. But thankfully, that didn't happen. And that's because of these three here beside me on stage today. They risked their lives to make sure all citizens of National City could continue to coincide together as a one...united in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness we all enjoy as Americans. So without further ado...let's give these heroes their medals, shall we?"

The crowd applauded and cheered as the Mayor approached a table with three navy blue velvet cases containing the medals to be awarded. She picked them up and handed them over to a nearby assistant who followed her as she walked over to J'onn. As the Mayor stood in front of J'onn, her assistance opened up one of the boxes. The Mayor pulled out the medal from inside and faced J'onn.

"Mr. J'onn Jonzz, thank you for your heroic services to the city and its population. On behalf of myself and all of National City, I bestow upon you the highest civilian award the city has...the medal of bravery." 

The crowd applauded again as J'onn lowered his head and allowed the Mayor to place the medal around his neck. The Mayor shook J'onn's hand and offered her congratulations once again as the last son of Mars stood proudly with a smile on his face. And in that moment, he wished his wife and children could have been there to see him receive his award. The Mayor stepped over to Kara as she took out another medal. 

"Ms. Supergirl, Woman of Steel. Thank you for your heroic services to the city and its population. On behalf of myself and all of National City, I bestow upon you the highest civilian award the city has...the medal of bravery." 

More applause broke out as Kara lowered her head, and the Mayor placed the medal around her neck. The Mayor shook Kara's hand and offered her congratulations once again as Kara stood proudly as the last daughter of Krypton with a warm smile on her face. And in that moment, she wished her mother, father, and Aunt Astra could be there to see her receive her award. But as she looked down in front of the stage, she saw Alex smiling up at her, with a proud big sister grin on her face. The Mayor stepped over to Lena as she took out another medal.

"Ms. Lena Luthor, CEO of LCorp. Thank you for your heroic services to the city and its population. On behalf of myself and all of National City, I bestow upon you the highest civilian award the city has...the medal of bravery."

The crowd cheered once more as Lena lowered her head to accept the medal. But before the Mayor could place the medal around Lena's neck, gunshots rang out across the stadium. 

Kara's first instinct was to immediately jump in front of Lena and the Mayor. She wrapped her cape around them as she felt the bullets hit her back. She gunfire stopped as the sound of metal being crushed was heard above their heads. Kara looked up to see that J'onn had destroyed the drone that had been firing the shots. J'onn quickly landed next to Kara as the stadium erupted into panic with people running every which way. 

"A drone? How'd it get in?" Kara asked, uncovering the Mayor and Lena with her cape. 

"I don't know. But we need to get the Mayor and Lena to safety immediately so we can take care of whatever may be coming our way next." 

Kara nodded and stepped beside Lena as Hank led the Mayor off stage to safety. She unclasped her cape and wrapped it around the CEO. 

"Keep this wrapped around you at all times. It's bulletproof. At all times...okay?" Kara's voice was calm but intense. 

Lena nodded as she hugged the cape around her body. 

"I need you to run backstage, now! J'onn will find you a safe place."

More drones appeared above them and started firing. 

"Go, Lena, now!"

"Kara!" Lena exclaimed, her eyes full of love and emotion, saying it all without words. 

"I know." Kara whispered into Lena's ear before pushing her forward, encouraging her to run off the stage as bullets rained down on them. 

Lena made it safely backstage and turned around, expecting Kara to be right there with her. Instead she watched as Kara bent down to retrieve Lena's medal the Mayor had dropped when everything had gone down. 

The last thing Kara remember was reaching down to pick up Lena's medal as she heard Alex call to her in her earpiece. 

"Supergirl. Get out of there, now! We've got incoming-"

Whatever was incoming, Kara didn't have a chance to find out. Grenades had been dropped all around her and exploded simultaneously. But it wasn't the explosions that knocked out Kara. It was the sudden emission of green smoke. She felt the Kryptonite course through her veins as she fell to her knees. Her vision was blurred from the smoke that surrounded her and she could vaguely make out Lena's voice as she called out to her. Then she felt herself being picked up roughly and thrown over someone's shoulder. The last thing she remembered was feeling the sensation of flying before she passed out. 

*************************************************************************

The green smoke had finally cleared and the shooting drones had been successfully take down by Alex, Maggie, and various DEO agents and NCDP officers. The perimeter was again secured. Lena and the Mayor were safe. The was only one problem...Kara was missing. 

"I don't care what it takes, Winn, get on it now!" Alex yelled over the phone before hanging up in frustration. She felt Maggie gently grab ahold of her arm and then wraps her other arm around her back, rubbing it in soothing circles. 

"Take a deep breath, Alex. You're not gonna accomplish anything all riled up like that." 

Alex took her girlfriend's advice and took in a deep breath. She held it for a moment as she closed her eyes and thought of Kara...where she could be...what could be happening to her. She let the breath out in a big huff before bringing her hands up to her face to rub her temples in frustration. Maggie stepped around to face Alex and brought her hands up to her face, cupping her cheeks. 

"Hey...we're gonna find her. Okay?"

Alex nodded slightly, not looking at Maggie. Maggie brought her hand under Alex's chin and tilted Alex's face up to hers. 

"Alex. Look at me."

Alex's eyes slowly looked up to meet Maggie's. She was doing her best to stay strong and Maggie knew it. 

"We will find her." Maggie stated, her eyes intense and serious. 

Alex gave Maggie a firmer nod this time as Maggie pulled her into a hug. Over her shoulder she noticed Lena sitting alone on one of the stadium seats. She was wrapped up in Kara's cape as she too was yelling at someone on her cell phone. 

"I don't care what resources we have to use. We will use them all to find her. This is not a negotiation!" 

Lena abruptly ended her call and let out a loud sigh of frustration. As she sank deeper into Kara's cape, she looked up, her eyes meeting Alex's up on stage. They both shared a look of understanding, knowing they were both going to do whatever it took to get Kara home safely. The moment was interrupted by Maggie's cell phone ringing in her back pocket. Maggie broke free from Alex and reached back to grab her phone. 

"Sawyer." Maggie listened for a moment, her face going from neutral to very concerned. "No, that won't be necessary. I'm here with Agent Danvers right now. I'll inform her." Maggie hung up and glanced at Alex.

Alex could tell something was wrong by the look on Maggie's face. And she wasn't sure she was prepared to hear whatever news it was. She took a deep breath and exhaled before asking.

"What is it?"

"It was the Chief's office." Maggie paused as Lena came walking up to them, still wrapped up in Kara's cape. "It's Lillian Luthor. She was broken out of jail at the same time the siege went down here."

If things were looking bad for Kara know, Alex thought to herself, now it sure as hell was worse. 

"Then Lena and I will need to get back to the DEO and go over all of the files on Lillian. Can you come meet up with us once you're done here?" Alex asked, reaching out to give Maggie's hand a quick squeeze. 

"Of course," Maggie leaned up and planted a chaste kiss on Alex's lips before walking off to meet up with some nearby officers. 

Alex turned to Lena, who was looking as stoic as she possibly could for someone who'd just witnessed the woman she loved being kidnapped. 

"We're going to find her, Lena. Don't worry." Alex said, trying to sooth the CEO's nerves. 

Lena stood up straight and instantly became the picture of composure...the badass CEO that she was. 

"I'm not worried, Agent Danvers. Of course we'll find her. It's my mother that should be worried. Because as soon as I find her she's going to pay for what she's done...Luthor style." 

Alex gave Lena a small, but sly grin. She was definitely impressed by the tenacity of her sister's girlfriend. She had been every since they'd started working together trying to stop the threats Lillian had made regarding the ceremony. She may not have been certain how they were going to find Kara. But she was certain of one thing...with Lena Luthor on her sister's side, it was going to make the odds of finding Kara even better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know...but don't worry. Remember, Supercorp will be just fine...after a bit of drama and angst. ;)


	26. To Hold Courage in Your Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So there's no Supergirl episode this week, so I can't rant about that like I usually do. But of course, I can still rant about Mon-El, because it seems there are hints that he will be in Season 3 and if that's not bad enough...something about watching him grow into his superhero arc. What?? Why would anyone want to watch that on a show called SuperGIRL for starters? And secondly...so does that mean it's going to be the usual shi*t in upcoming episodes when Kara finds out he's the Daxam prince? They'll fight, he'll disrespect her then apologize and then suddenly she'll be all lovestruck all over again? 
> 
> So if you search for Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor stories here, you'll currently get 1995 works. If you look up Kara Danvers/Mon-El ...there are only 205 works. That alone should tell SG writers that nobody likes Mon-El. Can someone screenshot those numbers, put them side by side in a meme and tweet it to the SG writers? I would but I'm not on twitter. Maybe start a hashtag #NOBODYLIKESMON-EL...or something to that effect. ;) 
> 
> Anyway, onto the chapter...ummmm...it's angst. Angsty Kara, angsty Lena, and angsty Alex... yup...it's angst...enjoy! ;)

Kara's eyes fluttered open. The first thing she noticed was the eerie red glow surrounding her. Everything else was too blurry to make out. All she could see was the haze of redness around her. It instantly reminded her of the red sunlight on Krypton. But her head was still feeling a bit fuzzy from the Kryptonite, so maybe her vision was still a bit off? She couldn't tell just yet. So she closed her eyes and took a moment to hopefully gather herself. 

The second thing she noticed while she kept her eyes closed, was the feeling of something warm trickling down from her forehead. It slowly made it's way past her temple, stopping at her jawline. Kara opened her eyes and pressed two fingers to the side of her face, wiping away the mystery liquid. It was red too...but maybe that was because of the red light penetrating the room? She brought her fingers up to her lips, tasting the red substance. It was salty and tasted metallic...blood. That's when Kara started to notice that her head ached. In fact...her whole body ached. But at least her vision was clearing up. 

And that's when Kara noticed the third thing...the room where she was being held. The concrete floor felt cool to her hands as she pushed herself up into a seated position and looked around. The walls were tall and also concrete. It seemed to be a room in a warehouse or some other kind of large building. Ahead of her she saw a door that looked to be re-enforced with some type of metal. There was nothing else inside the room except for a thin mattress and a bottle of water over in the far corner. Looking up, she saw where the source of the red light filling the room was coming from. Rows and rows of red bulbs lined the ceiling, all of them encased in that same looking metal that was covering the room's door. 

Kara held up her hands in front of her face. Even though the effects of the Kryptonite grenades were starting to wear off, she knew that wasn't going to help matters. She'd been locked in this red-lighted room for a reason...so that she couldn't use her powers. And that meant that whoever had taken her, must still need something from her. Otherwise they most likely would have used whatever other sources of Kryptonite they had to finish her off. Kryptonite grenades...that's what triggered Kara's memories and suddenly flooded her mind with a million questions....

Who had infiltrated the ceremony and how had they managed to get past all of the security measures?

How'd they get their hands on Kryptonite?

Was anyone else injured or taken?

"Lena!" 

Kara's head jerked up and she suddenly felt very aware. She jumped up and started pacing the large room. Scenario after scenario played through her head as to what could be happening to Lena right now if she'd been taken too...or worse, hurt somehow....or hurt and taken. Kara's breath became faster and her heartbeat quickened, her heart feeling as though it could beat right out of her chest at the thought of someone hurting Lena...her Lena. She knew she should be thinking clearly...logically right now so she could come up with a plan of escape. But at the moment...only thoughts of Lena's beautiful green eyes filled with anguish clouded her vision. She could feel herself losing control. 

She knew it was foolish. And she knew it was going to hurt. But she charged full force ahead, smashing her body into the metal door. Nothing happened. The door didn't even dent. She felt the pain surge through her shoulder. It had taken the brunt of the hit. Pain wasn't something she experienced often, but the few times she'd experienced it, she'd learned each time how to better control it...to channel it. She felt the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she took several steps back from the door. After a few more steps back, she took in a deep breath, let it out and then ran as fast as her non-superspeed body could muster, jumped up, and aimed her flying legs at the door. 

Her feet met the door with a huge thud before she was immediately thrown backwards and found herself falling to the concrete floor below her. Luckily her reflexes were quick enough to allow her hands to brace the fall. But it was definitely a hard fall, jarring her body and knocking the wind out of her for a moment. At the same time her hands met the floor, she heard the sound of metal meeting concrete...like the sound of a coin dropping onto something hard. She looked over at her right wrist, which was still back behind her from bracing for the fall. There she noticed a medal...one that looked very familiar. She reached over with her free hand to pick it up, then sat up, crossing her legs as she held the medal in her hands. 

The front of the medal had an engraving of National City's skyline and said "National City Honor of Bravery." She turned the medal over. The back read "Lena Luthor." It was Lena's medal from the ceremony! Kara tried to work through her confusion. How in the world had Lena's medal turned up there in that room with her? Kara closed her eyes, trying to make sense of it. The last thing she'd remembered earlier while collecting her thoughts was flying through the air in someone...or some thing's arms. But what had happened before that. She could remember bits and pieces. She remembered the drone attack and wrapping up Lena in her cape, telling her to run for safety. She remembered getting ready to follow behind Lena before stopping for some reason...

The medal! She'd seen Lena's medal on the ground amid the chaos. The Mayor must have dropped it while taking cover. So Kara had bent down to pick it up, tucking it into her suit sleeve for safekeeping. Then the Kryptonite grenades had hit, surrounding her in green smoke. 

Kara opened her eyes and looked down at the medal in her hands. She brushed her fingers lovingly over Lena's name, making a silent promise to the CEO that she would return that medal to her, because Lena Luthor deserved to be recognized as the hero she was...to National City...and to Kara herself. 

A sudden noise on the other side of the door made Kara jump. She heard the sound of keys and various deadbolts being unlocked. She quickly hopped to her feet, tucking Lena's medal safely back into her suit sleeve. She placed her hands on her hips, in her usual Supergirl means business pose, ready to face whatever might be coming through that door. She may not have had her powers in that moment...but at least she had a small piece of Lena with her, the medal. And that's what gave her the extra boost of courage as the door opened...

******************************************************************************

It had been forty-eight hours. Forty-eight long and tiring hours since Kara had gone missing at the awards ceremony. And Alex and Lena, even with all of the resources of LCorp, the DEO, and the NCPD were turning up dead end leads left and right. No-one had gotten much sleep since it happened. Alex and Lena hadn't slept at all. They split their time between the DEO and LCorp, trying desperately to go over everything with a fine toothed comb that might give them any sort of clues as to where Kara could have been taken. Of course Lillian was behind the kidnapping...that much they knew. It was too much of a coincidence for her to break out of prison at the exact same time the ceremony was attacked. Now it was looking like they were going to have to wait on Lillian to make the next move, and that was something neither Lena nor Alex could accept. 

So they found themselves...going into the forty-ninth hour, with heavy, sleep-deprived eyes and exhausted yawns, scouring over more files in Alex's lab. Alex picked up a file folder, read the label on the outside, and the pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration before slamming it back down on the table.

"Fuck! This is useless! We've been over all of this so many damn times and there's nothing! Nothing..." 

Alex's voice trailed off as she let her head fall into her hands in exasperation. Lena brought her hand up to Alex's back, offering what little comfort she could, knowing exactly what Alex was feeling...helpless. 

"Hey, why don't you take a break...rest for a bit. I can look through these and let you know if I find anything."

Alex looked over at Lena, giving her a small, appreciative smile. 

"A break? You're one to talk, Ms. Luthor." Alex replied with a slight wink. "You haven't rested at all either since..." 

Alex's voice trailed off again. There was a moment of understanding and sadness shared between the two women. Lena took her hand away from Alex's back and sat up straight before turning to face the DEO agent. 

"Why don't we both take a short rest then?"

"A break sounds so good." Alex replied hastily, letting out a sigh of relief. 

Lena let out an amused chuckle as the two women stood from their stools. 

"Why don't I go grab us some coffee and whatever sort of snacks I can find around here. I know Kara keeps a secret emergency food stash in her locker. So if worse comes to starvation...I can always break into it and see what goodies she has tucked away under her spare suit."

Both women smiled, and for once they were relieved to be able to feel a bit of happiness at the thought of Kara and her food stashes. Lena mere nodded, and Alex left the lab in search of sustenance. Lena walked over to the small couch over in the corner of Alex's lab. She paused, looking at the red cape that she'd draped over the couch earlier. She tried not to let the sadness overtake her as she grabbed the cape and sat down on the couch. She clutched the cape into her chest, hugging it as she took in the scent of Kara left behind. She knew it wasn't a time for tears...not yet. She needed to be strong for Kara. And thankfully she had a piece of her with her to give her the courage she needed to keep up the fight in finding her Kara...her hero. 

When Alex returned to the lab a bit later, coffee and plenty of snacks in hand, she wasn't prepared for what she saw. Lena was curled up on the couch, fast asleep and clutching Kara's cape in her hands. It made her heart lurch in her chest. It made her heart ache for Lena...and it ached for herself. Because Kara meant so much to so many people. Alex quietly walked over to the table where the file folders were and sat down everything in her hands. She made her way over to the sleeping CEO and knelt down beside her, gently pulling the cape from Lena's hands. Then she stood and carefully draped the cape over Lena like a protective blanket. Lena stirred slightly before letting out a sigh and snugging into Kara's cape. And in that moment, Alex thought to herself...it didn't get anymore in love than that...a woman wrapped up in her girlfriends cape, sighing contentedly and feeling safe and loved even in Kara's absence. 

As Alex watched over Lena, she heard a soft voice behind her. 

"Hey." Maggie said quietly as the detective entered the lab and approached Alex.

Maggie saw Lena sleeping, all cozied up with with Kara's cape. It brought a genuine grin to the detective's lips. When she looked over at Alex, still smiling, she nodded towards the door. Maggie took Alex's hand and headed out of the lab, leaving a sleeping Lena to get some very needed rest. They walked a bit down the hall before Alex stopped. Maggie quickly turned around to see her girlfriend about to break down in tears. 

"Hey...hey, it's okay, I've got you." 

Alex sunk into Maggie's arms and let the detective hold her as the tears leaked out of her eyes. She'd been holding it in for the last two days, and she couldn't do it any longer. She let the tears fall as Maggie rubbed her back and whispered consoling words to her ear. 

"We have to find her, Maggie." Alex whimpered into Maggie's neck.

"We will. We will find her, Alex." Maggie replied, trying to soothe her troubled girlfriend's nerves with her voice and touch. 

Alex pulled back from Maggie, still staying in her arms. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her face was a sea of sadness and angst.

"If anything happens to her-"

"Shhh...we can't think like that, okay." Maggie raised her hand up to wipe the tears from Alex's cheek. "Come on, you need to get some rest too. We can crash for a bit on the cots in the locker room."

Alex started to protest, but Maggie was too quick.

"Let's go, Danvers. We rest, recharge, and then get back to searching with fresh eyes and perspective, okay?" 

Alex gave her girlfriend a slight nod. 

"Yeah. Okay." 

Maggie leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on Alex's forehead before taking her hand and leading her down the hallway towards the locker room. 

******************************************************************************

Kara waited, still standing in her Supergirl pose as the door completely opened. In walked Lillian Luthor. She stepped inside, a smug look on her face. The door slammed shut with a heavy thud behind her as she approached Kara. 

"Hello, Supergirl." She stopped in front of Kara and crossed her arms over her chest, her smug look turning into an even smugger smile. "Or should I say hello, Kara Danvers."

Kara tried not to let it show as she felt the bile rise up in her throat. Lillian knew her identity. And that most likely meant...that the ball was know in her court. Kara swallowed hard, waiting for Luthor matriarch's next move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my poor angsty ladies...how I love them all. 
> 
> #NOBODYLIKESMON-EL


	27. The Kung Fu CEO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I think I have the perfect new name for episode 2x16. Instead of "Star Crossed," I'm changing it to "Let's Make Every Character Beat Us Over the Head With How Great a Guy We Should Think Mon-El is Even Though He's a Lying Sack of Shit Because You're Supposed to Believe He's a HERO!" I mean why not have OOC Alex just look at the camera and say "Mon-El is an awesome dude" with a wink and a thumbs up while we're at it. 
> 
> That about sums up my thoughts on that episode. Oh except one more thing...
> 
> Mon-El: "I'm a hero too."
> 
> Me: Hahahahahahahahahahhahaha ...oh, you were serious? 
> 
> That episode played like a damn teen melodrama. And let's be honest...Karamel isn't breaking up. And why is Alex condoning Mon-El's behavior and just...no, I'm done. I'll stop. Feel free to comment and rant with me if you'd like!
> 
> The only good thing about that episode was the like 5 seconds we got in the beginning of Sanvers asleep snuggling on the couch. But I digress...
> 
> In this chapter...Lillian is an evil bitch and Alex learns about Lena's badass side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ****UPDATE*****
> 
> For those of you who didn't watch the Flash crossover. (I don't usually watch the Flash but wanted to see if my theory about Kara taking Mon-El back yet again would hold) .....
> 
> Guess what? The "Karamel" breakup lasted literally like a few hours. Because when J'onn answers how long Kara was knocked out, he said...a few hours. So by the episode's end, you guessed it, my friends. After the usual crap of being told yet again that she should give Mon-El a second chance and that maybe he lied for a reason, suddenly she's all about forgiving him after he says he's sorry for lying. And then apparently we're supposed to believe that Mon-El is the prince charming to kara's snow white because she wakes up when he kisses her. Excuse me while I go vomit in a nearby bucket. So basically, ladies and gentlemen, Supergirl has taken its stance on how it feels about Karamel...that it's a great, romantic, and healthy relationship. 
> 
> To all of the impressionable young ladies out there who may be reading this...Mon-El is NOT an example of how a guy should treat a woman. I could list all of the reasons why, but it's exhausting and I'm so drained from having to watch Kara's character be brought down to such a low level where she feels she doesn't deserve to be respected and treated like an equal. Ladies...girls...and Kara...we all deserve so much better!

Kara was silent as Lillian approached her, hands still on her hips in her best defiant Supergirl pose. On the outside, Kara was National City's stoic hero...girl of steel. But on the inside, she was freaking out...just a little. Lillian knew she was Kara Danvers. How had she found out? How long had she known? And what was she planning to do with the information? 

A sly grin passed over LIllian's lips as she circled Kara. She could see the wheels in Supergirl's head turning, wondering what her next move was going to be. She could tell the superhero was doing her best to appear strong...calm and collected, even though she was currently without her powers and was trying to process that Lillian now knew her identity. Lillian was a master-manipulator. One only needed to ask her daughter about that. No-one knew Lillian's manipulative capabilities more than Lena. Lena...

Lillian's smile grew into a sinister, as evil as the come smirk as she finally stopped in front of Supergirl, with the thought of Lena fresh in her mind. 

"Lena." Lillian stated matter-of-factly.

Kara's brows furrowed into a deep crinkle, making Lillian's face look even more amused. 

"The last time we were in this...predicament." Lillian said through a slight chuckle. "As you glared out at me through your cage. I should have realized it then. I asked what you were to my daughter. And you replied with a very adamant...I'm a friend."

Lillian started circling around Kara again with slow, calculated steps as she continued. 

"Of course I was concerned, as any loving, human mother would be about her daughter being friends with...an alien. And of course, Lena couldn't have chosen any other type of alien out there to befriend. Oh no...it had to be a Kryptonian." 

Lillian's emphasis on Kryptonian sounded as though she were tasting something rotten and vile. And to her a Kryptonian was...something rotten and vile. Her hatred for that specific "Super" race was of course rooted in Superman's destruction of her beloved son. But even if it hadn't been a Kryptonian that had taken down Lex, she was the type of women who'd most likely still hate Kryptonians. After all, she was only human. She was doing her kind...humankind a huge favor by forming CADMUS and using its vast-reaching resources to rid the planet of alien garbage once and for all. 

Lillian's tone in regards to Kryptonians wasn't lost on Kara. But she wasn't concerned for her safety, even with no powers. Her mind instantly went to Lena and what Lillian could potentially do to hurt her own daughter. 

"She is my friend. I meant it then, and I mean it more so now." Kara stated in the best intimidating Supergirl tone of voice she could muster...given the circumstances. 

Lillian whirled around to face Kara, pausing from her circled pacing. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the superhero, looking vaguely amused. 

"Oh, I'm sure you do, Supergirl. And that's what I'm counting on. It's actually all worked out quite splendidly for me...my daughter having feelings for a Super."

Kara felt the anger surging through her veins. 

"This is between you and me, Lillian. Leave Lena out of this."

"On the contrary, Ms. Danvers. Lena has everything to do with this. But we'll get to that later. I'm actually very intrigued by the fact that you haven't asked how I know you true identity." Lillian boldly stepped in closer to Kara. "Or how I came to be aware of your little...dalliance with my daughter."

Lillian was expecting to get some sort of rise out of the Kryptonian. But she watched as Supergirl's composure didn't waver. In fact, the Kryptonian became more resolved, standing taller as if trying to appear more powerful. 

"Does it really matter at this point? I mean here I am and here you are. How either of us got here is not exactly a burning question I'm dying to ask." 

Lillian smiled smugly at Supergirl. The Kryptonian was definitely good at holding her ground and staying stoic in whatever circumstances she had thrown at her. Lillian would at least give the Kryptonian that. But if Supergirl wanted to play hardball with the elder Luthor, she was in for one rough game. Because when it came to games...especially games of the mind, Lillian was definitely a master. Lillian started up her circling pacing again, hoping it was having an effect at getting to the Kryptonian. 

"Well...since you don't seem to have any...burning questions. I've got one for you, Supergirl...Kara Danvers...Kara Zor-El. Tell me, which name is it my daughter screams out loud while she's in the throes of passion in those potentially bone-crushing arms of yours?" 

Kara's hands fell to her side, her fists clenched. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm the rage that was threatening to surface. She exhaled, watching as Lillian came to a stop in front of her once more. 

"I don't know what's worse...that my daughter's fucking a women, or that she's fucking a woman who happens to be an alien. Either way, the two of you will never be together. Not when I'm finished with the both of you."

Kara couldn't contain herself any longer. She reached up and grabbed Lillian's throat, pushing up against the nearby cement wall. She may not have had her super-strength, but her training with Alex had taught her plenty about how to reign in her human strength in case she'd ever found her powers incapacitated. But before she could even think about landing a punch on Lillian's smug face, Lillian raised her hand up, revealing a small remote control. With a press of a button, the red lights overhead went off, filling the room with total darkness. She heard Lillian press another button. This time when the lights flickered back on, there was an eerie green glow. Kara began feeling nauseous, releasing her hand from Lillian's neck as she fell to the ground. It wasn't enough Kryptonite to inflict major bodily harm. But it was certainly enough to make her feel dizzy and weak. Kara fell to the ground. 

"Now, Supergirl. It's time to get down to business." Lillian said, leering down at Kara's limp form. 

******************************************************************************************************

Lena had awoke the next morning curled up in Kara's cape on the couch in Alex's lab. She wasn't sure how long she'd slept, but she was grateful for feeling a bit more refreshed. She sat up with a yawn, wrapping the cape around her shoulder as she stretched her arms. She brought the cape in closer, raising some up of it up to her nose, taking in the sweet scent of Kara that still lingered on it. She closed her eyes, hugging the cape tight around her once more and drawing on Kara's scent...her strength to continue working on bringing Supergirl home to her. 

Earlier that afternoon, they'd found themselves at another dead end. So everyone had agreed to taking an hour lunch break and dive back into any newest lead after recharging and regrouping. Lena didn't have much of an appetite though. After munching on a few granola bars, she found herself wandering around the halls of the DEO. She came across a large gym with various workout machines and weights. She entered the gym, thankful she'd decided to change into comfortable clothes Alex had offered her after her shower in the DEO locker room earlier that morning. 

That's where Alex found her thirty minutes later. Lena's back was to her as she quietly entered, watching as the CEO was deeply engrossed in her Tai Chi movements. 

Lena's eyes were closed and her mind, for the moment, was calm as her body flowed effortlessly, beautifully through her workout. Her mastery of Tai Chi was one of the few things she could rely upon to help get her centered and refocused. And between running a multi-million dollar company and dealing with the constant death threats from her family (whether acted upon or merely threatened), she definitely relied heavily on her Tai Chi routines to not only unwind, but strategize how to deal with everything. But it was those constant death threats...and threats in general for merely being a Luthor that lead her to learn her other form of...relaxation...

Before Lena could sway into her next move, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Reacting instantly, her elbow jammed back into the assailant's chest before she grabbed grabbed the arm on her shoulder and hurled whomever it was over and onto their back. Breathing hard, Lena stood over the assailant with a defensive, kung-fu stance. It wasn't until she finally caught her breath that she realized who she'd just body slammed to the ground.

"Alex? Oh shit, I'm sorry, I...are you alright?" Lena's posture went from kung-fu master to worried friend instantly as she knelt down beside Alex. 

"I'm fine." Alex grunted, more in shock than in pain. "Can you just...help me up?" 

Alex reached out her hand as Lena stood and helped pull the DEO agent to her feet. Alex brushed herself off, trying to downplay the fact that she'd just got taken down by someone smaller and very unexpected. 

"What the hell was that? You went from zen master calm to Jackie Chan in a split second!" Alex stated, rubbing her shoulder. "Don't get me wrong, that was majorly badass, but...I definitely wasn't expecting that out of you, Luthor."

"I tend to count on that...no-one expecting it. Makes the self-defense moves all the more effective." 

"I wouldn't call what you just did to me a basic self-defense move." Alex said through a slight chuckle. 

"Shaolin Kung Fu." Lena stated.

"I'm sorry, did you just say kung fu? 

"I said Shaolin Kung Fu." Lena repeated. 

"Like badass monks in the mountains of China Shaolin kung fu?" Alex asked incredulously. 

"Yes. I spent some time there learning how to defend myself. I got tired of being defenseless against the various attempts on my life. I just sort of...really took to it." Lena shrugged it off, trying to play it off as not such a big deal. 

"You just sort of took to it, huh?" Alex asked with a smile. "How much so?"

"Third degree black belt." Lena responded, amused by how impressed Alex seemed by the newest revelation about the CEO.

"Just...wow, I-" It wasn't often Alex was at a loss for words. "I have to say, I'm officially impressed with you Luthor."

That made Lena laugh out loud softly. 

"I wasn't aware I was still having to impress you, Agent, Danvers."

"No, well...what I mean to say was...hell, I don't even know. Just...that's badass, Luthor...totally badass." 

Lena just shook her head with another slight chuckle. 

"Hey you know, we still have a bit of break time left. We could go to the sparring room and maybe you could show me a few of your...moves?" Alex did a mock kung fu stance when she finished, garnering another smile from Lena. "I mean, I've got some pretty great moves myself, we could, I dunno...share moves?"

"That sounded so weird, Agent Danvers."

"It did right?" Alex laughed at herself. "What I meant was...sparring usually helps me with the stress and tension. Maybe we could help each other. And...it might help us clear our mind up so we can be of more help to Kara. Speaking of Kara...does she know about your secret kung fu side, miss third degree black belt?"

Lena blushed slightly before lowering her head.

"No. We haven't exactly had much time to...just talk yet." Lena responded with a hint of sadness in her voice. 

Alex approached her, putting her hands on Lena's shoulders. 

"Hey." Alex waited until Lena looked up at her. "We're going to find her. Then you can tell her all about how I kicked your black belt ass in a sparring session"

Lena let out a hearty chuckle. 

"We shall see about that, Agent Danvers." 

Alex let her arms drop from Lena and then placed her arm around Lena's shoulders as they walked out of the gym. 

"Yes, we shall." Alex responded as they headed for the sparring room. 

*******************************************************************************************

Forty minutes later, Maggie found herself wandering the halls of the DEO looking for her girlfriend. As she was passing by the sparring room, she heard a loud thud and a grunt that definitely recognized. She opened the door to find Alex sprawled out on the floor, with Lena looking down at her, poised in some sort of serious fighting stance. Both women looked over at Maggie when they heart the door open. 

"My saviour, my NCPD knight in shining armour. Please come rescue me from this kung fu madwoman." Alex exclaimed dramatically, still lying on the ground. 

Maggie chuckled as she crossed her arms over her chest. 

"But I thought you had the moves, babe. You're telling me the CEO in high heels and lipstick just kicked your ass?" Maybe retorted, highly amused by her girlfriend's current ass-kicked status. 

"What I'm telling you is...you need to come over here and help me up!" Alex exclaimed, bringing her arms across her forehead like a damsel in distress. 

Maggie strolled slowly over to Alex, reaching out a hand to help her up. 

"Feel better after getting your ass kicked?" Maggie asked after leaning in to place a chaste kiss on Alex's lips. 

"Yeah, actually, I do." Alex responded, looking over at Lena. "How about you?"

"Surprisingly, I do too. It was nice getting my mind off of ...things for a while." 

"Yeah." Alex said softly. 

Before anyone could say another word, Winn came rushing into the sparring room. 

"Oh thank goodness you're all in here. The main control room...come...now!" 

Winn ran out as quickly as he entered. Alex, Maggie, and Lena weren't far behind. 

Once they had all reached the main control room, J'onn was there waiting. 

"We've just got word on an incoming transmission. It's due to start....now."

As J'onn finished speaking, all of the DEO screens became filled with noisy static. Then the familiar, creepy computerized CADMUS woman appeared. Everyone listened intently as the message began. 

"We have the Kryptonian. If you wish to see her safe return, then you will abide by our demands. Bring us Lena Luthor and you shall in turn, get Supergirl. Further instructions will arrive in due time. We. Are. CADMUS."

The screen went from static to blank. And suddenly all eyes...were on Lena.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out @ heatwave16 for planting the idea of badass Lena who can kick ass in my head! Hopefully I did your idea some justice. I actually looked up many kinds of self-defenses and martial arts. I thought kung fu fit Lena best...especially going to China to practice with the Shaolin monks. Hope ya'll agree. But at least you have to agree on one thing...badass Lena is definitely sexy! ;)


	28. The Empowerment of Lena Luthor: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conclusions I came to after watching episode 2x17: 1. Mon-El fixing breakfast means he's a changed man. I mean Kara said he'd changed not only once but TWICE. So ladies and gentlemen...we must also agree that he's magically changed. 2.Oh wait, what's that? His first response to dealing with his parents was to run away to another planet and hide out? Right, but he's changed. 3. A good boyfriend always leaves his Kryptonite injured girlfriend behind in the Fortress of Solitude so he can go back to the ship with mommy. (Can we all agree that Lena would never have done that. She would have stood in front of Kara and would be like, you can kill us both, but I'm not going anywhere without her) 4.Maggie's character must continually be dragged down so that Alex can look like a saintly, understanding girlfriend. 5. Since Mon-El is a liar, we must also make sure one of the lesbians is a liar too to that it evens things out for the portrayed straight couple. 6. I guess Alex is more concerned about having dinner with Maggie's ex than a galactic bounty on her sister's head. 7. No seriously...Mon-El has changed...why aren't you listening to Kara? ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is a two part labor of love chapter. I'm splitting it up because I didn't want ya'll to get bored with reading it all in one go. Hopefully that works out. I wanted to dive into the backstory behind our "Kung Fu Lena" a bit because I love Lena and she's my happy place amongst all of the depressing sh*t we've been enduring on the adventures of Mon-El show. :P 
> 
> Anyway, I'm hoping you enjoy reading it and hopefully it still will tie in okay to the ongoing story okay. It's going to start out and end back in the present at the DEO where we last left off off with Lena in the last chapter. I'm still working on part 2 but will hopefully have it up by tomorrow.

Lena sat at the back of the DEO's main control room with her elbow propped up on a nearby table, her head in her hand. They'd been going over various scenarios, game-plans, and plan of attacks for hours now. And by they...she meant Alex, J'onn, Winn, and pretty much every other DEO agent available. They...not her. Nevermind that she was the topic of discussion in regards to getting Supergirl back. Nevermind that Lillian had basically told them if they gave her up, Supergirl would be returned. And nevermind that they seemed to be missing the fact that CADMUS hadn't mentioned how Supergirl would be returned. Returned how...dead...alive...alive and injured? These were the thoughts whirling through Lena's mind as she tried to block out the buzz of raised, emotional voices around her trying to come up with a way to save them both...both her and Kara. 

Lena knew her mother better than anyone in that room. She knew the grand level of manipulation Lillian was capable of. She knew the coldness of her heart. She knew the depth of her alien hatred. But most of all...she knew that Lillian Luthor would never come through with any sort of deal when she already had all of her chess pieces aligned for the final move. And Lena knew that final move involved her...she was Lillian's checkmate. 

Most of the discussion going on around her involved various ways to get Lena out of the country and into protective custody. So basically they wanted her to run...take the easy way out while they figured out a better way to bring Kara home. Of course the DEO, and especially Alex, were just trying to look out for her best interests...to protect her. And at the moment, Lena's mind was too frazzled with concern for Kara that she really didn't have it in her to think of an alternate plan. So Lena stood up and quietly excused herself from the control room, heading down the halls of the DEO in search of a quiet place to gather her thoughts. 

She found herself in the sparring room a few minutes later. It seemed like the most logical place to go. It was far away from the clamorous, noisy, chatter that involved discussing she and Kara's fate. But there was something about the room that also made her feel closer to Kara. She could feel her there...around her. And as she sat down in the middle of the room and crossed her legs into a meditative position, it was that closeness to Kara that she channeled. Lena closed her eyes and took in a deep, calming breath, letting it out shakily. After another breath, she felt a tad bit calmer. And as she proceeded to continue her breathing and fall deeper into her meditation, she began to recall another time where she had run from things...

******************************************************************  
5 YEARS AGO...

At twenty years old, Lena had already accomplished an impressive amount of feats. To say she was an overachiever would probably be an understatement. It was expected if you were a Luthor. And Lena was definitely living up to the name. Especially now that she was finally able to start proving herself as she worked her way up the tech department at LuthorCorp. Of course, the could have easily ran the whole lab and department herself, but she wasn't one to use her family name to take the easy way out. She would earn her family's respect, even if that meant working under men whose theorems and prototypes she could outdo with her eyes closed. 

Aside from the sexism she dealt with daily from colleagues who scoffed at the thought that a woman, especially one as young as Lena, who thought she could compete with world-renowned scientists, she genuinely enjoyed working for her brother. She'd always adored Lex and looked up to him. And now that they finally had the opportunity to work together, well she could overlook the bad parts of the job. Plus she knew the day would come when she'd be heading up the whole tech division of LuthorCorp and karma would most definitely come back around to those who doubted her. 

Her first real challenge and opportunity to prove herself came a few months later when Lex asked her to head up a business trip to Beijing. They'd been working on a new tech development together, but Lex wouldn't be able to attend the overseas conference to pitch their prototype. Lena probably should have caught on then to Lex's growing obsession with Superman, but she'd been too excited that she would get to be the one to go and represent her family's company. It was the break she'd finally been waiting for...the chance to prove just how invaluable she was to LuthorCorp after all. 

The flight to China was long and uneventful. As she made her way down the steps of the Luthor private jet, she was met by several Chinese LuthorCorp business associates, her translator, and a small framed young woman introduced only as Lena's bodyguard. The notion of having to have a bodyguard was absurd to Lena. Apparently Lex had insisted on it, telling her that a Luthor was always a target...for what she didn't dare ask. She was a nerdy tech genius who spent her spare time alone reading feminist prose like "The Bell Jar" or practicing her chess moves so she could humiliate her brother at his own favorite strategies yet again. Why would anyone want to harm her?

The answer to that question would come two days later. Lena decided to walk the short distance from the conference venue back to her hotel when a black van careened off the road and screeched to a halt up onto the sidewalk behind her. As the van door slid open, four masked men carrying guns jumped out. But before Lena could even fathom what was happening, her bodyguard immediately jumped in front of her and fended off the attackers, single-handedly with moves Lena had only seen in the Chinese kung-fu movies Lex always liked watching. To see it play out in real time...right in front of her, it felt like her feet were stuck to the sidewalk in awe. 

The bodyguard finished off the last of the attackers with a swift kick to the groin and an elbow blow to the back of the neck. Before Lena could even process what had just happened, she found herself being whisked into the back of a sedan by her bodyguard. The young Chinese woman was instructing the driver before sitting back into the seat next to Lena, her face never breaking it's usual stern and serious look. 

A few hours later, Lena found herself in a new hotel, her belongings finally arriving from the one she had previously been staying at. She was still trying to wrap her head around what had happened earlier. A security briefing later informed her that she'd been the target of a rival tech corporation whose dealings with Lex and LuthorCorp had gone sour. That's when Lena realized that Lex may be involved with some shady dealings. Not only that...but he knew about the risks of Lena being in China and that's why he'd assigned her a bodyguard. That bodyguard, who had saved her life, and yet she didn't even know her name. She'd been told that it was customary for bodyguards to maintain a professional distance and not engage with the client. That allowed for more preciseness and accuracy when it came to maximun protection. At this point though, Lena didn't care. She was going to thank the woman who had saved her life. 

As her bodyguard came into her room, she gave her a nod, indicating to Lena that things were all clear. The woman took her usual seat in a nearby chair by the door, always on the lookout, always aware of any dangers she may sense. Lena let out a sigh before finally speaking.

"Thank you." Lena stated. She'd wanted to continue with...for being a badass woman who saved my life, but she didn't even know if the bodyguard would understand or be amused by her brash American way of talking. 

The bodyguard looked over at Lena and gave her another slight nod. 

"You're welcome." Came an unexpected reply from the Chinese woman. 

"You...you speak English?" Lena asked as she moved closer to her and sat down on the edge of the bed. 

The bodyguard seemed rather amused by the question as a sly smirk appeared on her lips. 

"I speak English, yes." 

"Wow...I...well, I should have asked sooner. We could have been chatting all this time." 

"Chatting is frowned upon. I am a bodyguard, not here for gossip." 

Lena wasn't sure whether to be insulted or amused. She was the last person anyone would want to gossip with. She loathed gossip. Give her an intellectual conversation any day, but spare her the attempt at gossiping about others. It just wasn't her style. 

"Well, I'm not here for gossip either. But could you at least tell me your name? It seems rather rude to not even know the name of the woman that saved my life." Lena gave the bodyguard a endearing wink for good measure. 

The Chinese woman studied Lena for a few moments. Lena waited patiently, not showing any signs of being intimidated by the steely gaze upon her. Finally the bodyguard sat up straighter in her chair and regarded Lena with a bit of curiosity in her eyes. 

"Gang Hua." 

"Gang Hua." Lena repeated as best she could with her American accent. "That's beautiful. What does it mean?"

"Steel Flower." the bodyguard replied. 

Lena let out a soft chuckle, because of course. 

"I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at the name. It's...wow, it just suits you perfectly."

"My father gave me my name. It's a proud name."

"Oh absolutely!" Lena exclaimed. "I mean it's perfect. On the outside you look like this delicate flower...let's say a plumeria because those are my absolute favorite. So you look like a plumeria...soft, beautiful on the surface. But then below the surface, you're this kick-ass, villain fighting woman of steel!" 

That made Gang Hua chuckle. 

"I'm hardly a superhero, Ms. Luthor."

Lena raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the Chinese woman. 

"So you know of Superman?"

"Of course. Although his fighting technique needs a bit of work."

Lena laughed out loud.

"Well, I'll be sure to pass the word along him. He and my brother are close friends." 

"That's not surprising, given the prominence of your family name in America. But you know, even with a Superman for protection, a woman of your importance should learn self-defense skills."

"I've never had a reason to need self-defense skills."

"A woman always has a reason to learn how to defend herself, most simply because she is a woman. It is the world we live in."

There was a knock at the hotel door. Gang Hua immediately stood at attention before saying something in Chinese. When she was satisfied with her response, she opened the door and stepped out to meet with her security team, leaving Lena to ponder a few things. 

Lena did learn a few basic kung fu self-defense moves from Gang Hua during the rest of her stay in Beijing. Unfortunately, duty called, and her time in China was up. But she left feeling slightly more empowered than when she arrived. And she'd also made a friend in her bodyguard. Well, the stern Chinese woman would never have admitted to a friendship, but giving Lena her contact information to use next time she was in the country was enough of an indication of friendship to Lena. And friends were definitely something she was in need of...especially with the things she was going to be put through in the next couple of years...things that not even a Luthor could ever imagine...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part two will hopefully be up tomorrow. It will continue where part 1 left off and get into what made Lena "run" ...how she ends up back in China, and how she finds her empowerment while training with the Shaolin monks, which will then tie back into the present and what she decides to do about her part in getting Kara back!


	29. The Empowerment of Lena Luthor: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay...so I may have lied a bit. This Lena-centric backstory bit has turned into a monster and will stretch out over 3 chapters. Hopefully you all won't mind too much since it's about Lena and we all LOVE our Lena. :) The third part will get into her time in China and then back to the present day DEO time and what she decides on how to get Kara back from Lillian...I promise! ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a disclaimer... I don't read comics nor do I watch comic book movies or television. Supergirl is the only exception to that because a friend of mine recommended it thinking I'd like the female-centric storylines. And I'm definitely glad she did..well I mean I'm glad season 1 wise anyway. But we won't get into Season 2 because you all feel my pain there too...except for the introduction of Lena, of course, which is the only thing that's made it tolerable. Anyway, there's a bit of Superman and Lex in this chapter. So hopefully they don't seem too OOC since I'm not really familiar with them and their stories. But hopefully it works. I'm sure you'll let me know if it doesn't! ;)

Two years later, Lena did indeed make it to the top. She'd been heading up the tech department at LuthorCorp for several months now and was considered a trailblazer in her field for her introduction of several state of the art technological prototypes. And she definitely got to see the karma come back around from her long stint of enduring the many sexist comments and behavior aimed at her when she was first starting out...but that would be an entirely different story altogether. 

One thing was certain though, and that was that Lena Luthor was poised and ready to take on the tech world. What she wasn't ready for, however, was the downward spiral Lex seemed to be on in regards to being at odds with Superman. 

She tried to reason with him. She tried to bring him back to the side of good. But his obsession was too strong. She thought her love for her brother would be enough for him to see his increasingly destructive ways and change them...revert back to the old Lex she'd known and adored growing up. She didn't quite realize the urgency of Lex's behavior until one day, while curled up with book and her favorite blanket, Superman arrived on her penthouse balcony. 

"Superman!" Lena exclaimed, nearly jumping off the couch from the sudden intrusion. 

"I'm sorry if I startled you, Lena, but it's important."

Lena stood up and approached Superman with a worried look in her eyes. 

"Is something wrong? Is it Lex?"

"You need to get out of Metropolis, Lena."

"Don't be absurd, Superman. I'm not leaving Lex or the company behind. Whatever it is, I'll face it head on. A Luthor doesn't run." 

Lena crossed her arms across her chest in defiance while Superman let out a disappointed sigh. 

"I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire of whatever Lex is planning. I know you love him, but I also know you're nothing like him. His obsession with destroying me is getting more dangerous by the minute. I need you to go somewhere safe...somewhere where Lex can't find you."

"Lex would never do anything to harm me. And like I said, I'm not going anywhere. Good night, Superman."

Lena turned away, not seeing the genuine look of concern on Superman's face. As she headed towards her bedroom she heard the whooosh of Superman taking off from her balcony. She didn't get much sleep that night. In her heart she knew Lex was heading down a dark path to a point of no return. But he was her family. And she was going to fight for him no matter what it took. A Luthor never ran. 

*****************************************************************************************

Several weeks later though, Lena would discover that sometimes, a Luthor had no other choice but to run. 

It started out as a typical morning down in her lab. With her mug of black coffee in one hand and finalized spec sheets for her new laser prototype in the other. As she was flipping through the pages, something caught her eye. She sat her coffee mug down on her desk and grabbed her glasses, putting them on before reading over the page in question. Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. 

This laser prototype project was Lena's pride and joy. She'd been devoting the last year to perfecting the schematics and technology behind it. The development process had been a painstaking one, but she'd finally gotten the final plans perfected after the last several months of tweaking and improving models of the laser in various stages. Now she was ready to build the first and only laser to exist and hopefully get it ready for the test market after that. It was a laser that would revolutionize recovery for stroke victims by stimulating neurons in the brain cells in a way that would speed up the encouragement of growth and renewal of damaged and even dead cells affected by the stroke. Once successful (and Lena knew is was going to be successful because a Luthor didn't do failure), the laser would cement LuthorCorp's place at the top of breakthrough medical technology. 

But there was a problem...

As Lena scoured over the remaining pages of her specs and blueprints, she noticed a few of the calculations had been changed. 

"This isn't right." She muttered to herself, her brows furrowing deeper into disapproval. 

She'd just downloaded the latest specs a half an hour earlier, so they shouldn't have changed since the final tweakings she'd made the night before. And Lex had wanted to keep the project top secret, deeming it: Project Lena Laser, with only he and Lena having access to the files and specifications throughout her development of the laser. That could only mean one thing...

"Lex. What the hell?"

Lena tore her glasses from her face and tossed them on the desk as she snatched up the paperwork and stormed out of her lab, heading up to Lex's office. 

******************************************************************************************************

"What is this?!" Lena asked angrily as she slammed the papers down onto Lex's desk. 

The elder Luthor was on a phone call, but promptly ended it, giving his full attention to his sister.

"Good morning to you too, sis." Lex responded, carefully gathering up the scattered papers Lena had tossed at him. 

Lena paced back in forth in front of his desk as Lex looked over the documents in question. Satisfied, Lex placed the papers back down on his desk and propped his elbows up on his it, threading his fingers together as he regarded his sister. 

"Well, I'd say it's pretty obvious what this is, Lena. So do you mind telling me why you've barged into my office unannounced like this? If you wanted an office upgrade, all you had to do was ask. Although I always thought you were happiest down there in that dark and dreary laboratory of yours." 

Lex smirked at Lena as she spun around to face him. 

"Why did you alter my calculations?"

"I merely tweaked them a bit. Think of it as an...improvement."

"Your so called "improvement" changes the entire dynamic of the laser!"

"I wouldn't say changes, more like...enhances." Lex replied as a smug smile appeared on his lips. 

"I won't let you use me and my work to further your ridiculous vendetta against Superman, Lex. I'm better than that." Lena paused, her face dropping a bit into sadness. "There was a time I thought you were better than that too."

"While I find your high-spirited self-righteousness cute, dear sister, you are in no position to tell me what I can or cannot do with LuthorCorp's prototypes." Lex stood, his face hard and serious. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a conference call with our Chinese clients shortly."

But Lena wasn't finished. She stormed up to her brother, her face full of anger. 

"This is not what I signed on for, Lex. We are supposed to be using our technology to do good. I won't let you warp my creation into a weapon. And I sure as hell won't stand by and let the last year of blood, sweat, and tears I put into this project be used for anything other than what it was designed for."

"What it was designed for." Lex let out a condescending tsk tsk as he stepped back and turned to face the huge picture windows looking out onto the skyline of Metropolis. He raised his arms, palms up as though he were a god looking out at his creation. "It was designed so that man can finally take back his Earth from those who think they are Gods. It was designed so that we may no longer walk in fear, so that we can feel safe again knowing the planet is ours once more. It was designed to control those who think they are heroes when if fact, they are nothing but what we ourselves made them out to be. It was-"

"You sound like some bullshit villain in a comic book...dear brother." Lena interrupted, mocking him with the same false sentiment he'd bestowed upon her earlier. 

Lex whirled around and banged his fist on his desk. 

"Mock me all you want, sister. But I will rid the Earth of Kryptonians and now, thanks to you, I'm one step closer to doing it."

Lena's face fell slightly. Deep down, she knew she'd been losing her brother to the side of evil, but she'd hoped in her heart she could bring him back around. Now she realized...it was most likely too late. But that wouldn't stop her from trying one last time. 

"I will not have any part in your madness, Lex. It doesn't have to be like this. We can put out this laser prototype, the way it was meant to be used...to help people. We can do it together. We can change the world...together. Please, just-"

"There's nothing more to discuss regarding the laser. I have a new project for you to work on. I'll e-mail you the details later this afternoon."

"Lex-"

"That will be all. I have business to attend to." 

Lex sat down at his desk, picking up his phone. 

Lena thought about retaliating...throwing more insults and threats his way. But she knew it would only fuel the fire. Even worse, it would most likely trigger him to do something drastic like ban her from her own lab. Although she figured her time still having access to anything regarding her laser prototype would most likely be restricted sooner than later. So Lena decided to use her mind instead of her actions in the moment. She slipped out quietly, with Lex not even noticing she'd gone. 

*********************************************************************************************************************

Lena had a bad habit...going back into the lab late at night to work. She didn't consider it a bad habit though. To her it came with being a workaholic...and an insomniac. There was alway too much going on in her head at night for her to rest. And she'd come up with some of her best ideas in the wee hours of the morning. So when she showed up at LexCorp that night, the security guards thought nothing of it. In fact, they probably would have been more concerned if they hadn't seen her show up at night to work. 

With the thoughts of the argument she'd had with Lex that morning still fresh in her mind, she headed down to her lab. What she was about to do...she knew it would most likely haunt her for the rest of her life. But it had to be done. And it had to be done now. 

Lena tapped her ID card onto the security keypad and the doors to her lab opened. She stepped inside, hearing the beep and click of the door locking behind her. She walked over to her desktop computer and turned it on. As she waited for it to power up, she reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out a USB flash drive. Once the computer was up and running, she inserted the drive and waited for the program to load. A warning popped up on the screen:

"WARNING! THIS WILL PERMANENTLY ERASE HARD DRIVE. ALL CONTENTS WILL BE LOST."

Lena ignored the warning and hit the enter key. While the program started to load and process, she headed for another door with a keypad. She entered in the code and stepped inside as the door opened. Before her sat various stages of her laser prototype, all under bulletproof glass cases and protected by security keypads. One by one Lena opened the cases. And one by one she grabbed the various pieces, gathering them in her arms before heading back out into her lab. She placed the prototype pieces into a bag and exited her lab, heading for the floor just below her...the basement. 

The basement wasn't a guarded area. Probably because nobody really went down there...except for maybe the cleaning staff. It was mostly just a bunch of control panels. But as Lena made her way down, her focus was on something else that was located in the basement...the incinerator. She made her way over to the far corner of the room where the large incinerator sat. She powered it up, waiting to make sure it was up to its highest temperature before lifting the bag full of her laser prototype parts in front of her. 

Lena opened the door of the incinerator, watching as the bright orange flames rose before before her. She took a moment to take in the scope of what her actions were going to cause. She knew what the ramifications would be...including the potentially deadly fallout with Lex that would most likely occur. And is wasn't like she wanted to see her hard work go up in flames in an instant when it had taken up the latter year of her life perfecting it. But she also wasn't about to let that hard work be used for something evil. She also knew that she would go from being Lex's well-loved sister to his public enemy number one...maybe even ahead of Superman. That was burden she was willing to endure if it meant saving lives from the wrath of a weapon she essentially created. 

Lena drew in a shaky breath as she reached into the bag and pulled out a piece of her prototype. With no hesitation, she tossed it into the incinerator, watching as the flames engulfed it. Piece after piece was tossed into those flames until she came to the last one. She held it in her hands for a moment and closed her eyes as if mourning what could have been. After taking in a deep breath, she exhaled and opened her eyes, tossing the final piece in. The flames flickered and danced in front of her. Her chest felt heavy and her stomach nauseous. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. Lena reached into her pockets and fished out several USB flash drives. She tossed them into the fire as well. 

There was still one last task to complete. Lena drew in another shaky breath before shutting the incinerator door. Then she turned her back to the ashes that had been her creation and headed up the stairs and out of the basement. 

First she went back to her lab. Heading over to her computer, she saw the "TASK COMPLETED-HARD DRIVE ERASED" message. The took out the flash drive that contained the hard drive wiping virus and placed it in her pocket as she powered off the computer. Now the plans to her laser existed in only two places...in her head and in Lex's office. She headed for the door, turning around to take one last look at her lab, knowing it would be the last time she'd ever set foot in it. With a heavy sigh, she turned back and headed out the door. 

Lex's office was always guarded with extra security. Lucky for Lena though, she knew when Lex's head guard liked to take a smoke break. She'd usually find him outside of Luthorcorp around 3:30 am when she'd usually be done for the night and decide to go home to try to get a few hours of sleep. He'd always be there, like clockwork, leaning up against the front of the building taking a few final drags of his cigarette. She'd never told Lex about it for some reason. Knowing her brother, he'd have fired him on the spot. But thankfully, Lena's tight lips in regards to the guards cigarette breaks would prove to come in handy tonight. At least...that's what she thought as she arrived on Lex's office floor. 

The elevator dinged, and Lena stepped out, immediately surprised to see the guard stationed in front of Lex's office door. It looked like she was going to have to improvise...and use some of her Luthor charm. She smiled at the guard as she approached. 

"Hey, Derrick. How's it going tonight?"

"Everything is well, Ms. Luthor. I see you're burning the midnight oil, so to speak yet again?"

Lena gave him a tired smile, hoping he'd sympathize with her still being in the lab so late working. 

"No rest for the wicked I'm afraid." Lena gave him a small wink. 

"Well I'd hardly call you wicked, Ms. Luthor." Derrick replied with a chuckle. 

"Tell my brother that, why don't you. I'm sure he'd be quick confirm my wickedness." 

They shared a chuckle together at that before Lena nodded over to the office door. 

"Speaking of Lex. I need to retrieve some files from his office so I can finish up what I'm working on downstairs and finally call it a night." 

Derrick slid in front of the door. 

"I'm sorry, Ms. Luthor, but your brother left strict instructions that nobody, not even you enters his office day or night without his approval."

"Well...then I guess you'll have to give Lex a call and get his approval. Although I'm not sure he'd be too thrilled about getting a call at..." Lena looked down at her watch. "3:35 in the morning for something so silly as letting me grab a file folder." 

Derrick flinched at the thought of the elder Luthor being furious by an early morning call. Lex wasn't known for his even temper. Lena could see the hesitation on the young guard's face. 

"Look, it will only take a second...in and out. Well, that is if I can find what I need right away in that mess he calls and office!" 

Lena grinned, making Derrick ease up a little bit. Lena took advantage. 

"Listen, you do this favor for me, and I continue to remain silent on those smoke breaks you like to take. It's a win-win for us both." 

Derrick let out a dejected sigh. He knew the younger Luthor had backed him into a corner with her charm. Now he knew why the Luthors were so good at getting what they wanted. He slowly stepped aside and entered the code to into the keypad by the door. It unlocked with a click. Before Lena could step inside, Derrick stopped her.

"You have five minutes."

"Understood. Thanks, Derrick!" 

Lena hurried into Lex's office, closing the door behind her. She knew where Lex kept his flash drives...in his safe. And Lex's safe had a state of the art security system. It required Luthor DNA to open it. Since Lena was adopted, she knew she had no chance of opening the safe that way. But the safe could also be opened manually with a coded number sequence. Lena placed her palm up against the keypad as she closed her eyes and quickly tried to think of a number sequence that would have a significance to Lex. But before she had a chance to come up with anything, something crazy happened...

She felt several small pricks along her palm. Suddenly the keypad lit up and made a noise as if it were scanning something. After a few more noises, the keypad lit up green and with a beep, the safe door unlocked. Lena stood in front of the opened safe, her mouth agape in shock as she stared down at her palm. Unfortunately, she didn't have time to ponder upon the implications of having just opened a DNA-encoded safe with her own hand. She gathered her wits and quickly searched through the safe, finding the drive she was looking for in a case labeled "Lena's Laser." She also grabbed Lex's laptop before shutting the safe and letting it lock and secure itself with a loud beep followed by a click of the lock. 

She placed the laptop and flash drive into her messenger bag before heading for the door. Much like she did in her lab , she took one last look around Lex's office. It held a lot of memories...ones of her father Lionel and then later of Lex and the ideas and accomplishments they'd shared together. She took a quick look back down at her hand and then at the safe. Was she a Luthor afterall? Or had the safe malfunctioned somehow? The slight knock on the office door prevented her from thinking about it any further. She quickly stepped outside to find Derrick waiting for her. 

"Get everything you needed, Ms. Luthor?" 

Lena flashed the guard her most charming Lena Luthor smile. 

"I did, Derrick. Thank you again."

"Not a problem. You go home and get some proper sleep now, you hear?"

"Will do, Derrick. Good night."

"Good night, Ms. Luthor."

Lena walked down the hallway, knowing that sleep was the last thing she'd be doing when she returned home.

When she got back to her apartment, Lena wiped Lex's laptop clean with the hard drive destruction visus and destroyed the flash drive from the safe. Next it was time to make plans, because she knew retaliation from Lex would come quickly and swiftly. 

**********************************************************************************************************************

That retaliation did come quickly and swiftly...and it came the very next day. 

Lena was on her way to a small, private airport just outside of Metropolis when she was ambushed by a gang of Lex's goons. They yanked her from the back of her car and surrounded her. The lead goon stepped up in front of her.

"Our instructions are to bring you in alive, Ms. Luthor. Lex says you have something he needs. Something...up here." The goon reached out to point to Lena's head.

Lucky for her, Lena had remembered and practiced the self-defense moves Gang Hua had showed her before leaving China some two years ago. Before the goon knew what hit him, she grabbed the finger pointing at her and bent it back...all the way back, snapping the bone. The goon yelled out in pain, dropping to his knees. THe rest of the goons quickly closed in, ready to take out the younger Luthor. Lena did her best to fight them off, But there was only so much on woman could do with her limited self-defense knowledge. A punch to the gut took her down. She winced in pain, the wind knocked out of her. The good who landed the hit towered over her, raising his fist up for the final blow. But the blow didn't land...

A whirl of blue and red came out of nowhere. And before she could blink in surprise, Superman had already taken out the entire gang of Lex's men. He sped over to Lena in a blur and held out his hand to help her up. 

"We need to leave...now!"

Lena could only nod in agreement. 

"Do you have somewhere you can go where Lex can't find you?"

Lena thought for a moment. She really didn't have any friends. The people in her life were more like casual acquaintances at best. Her mind suddenly wondered to China and the time she'd spent there with Gang Hua. She only hoped the bodyguard still lived at the same address she'd given her two years ago. 

"Can you fly me to Beijing?" Lena asked softly. 

Superman gave her a slight nod and scooped her up in his arms. 

******************************************************************************************************************

They landed in a small, discreet alley a few blocks from the address Gang Hua had given her the last time she was in China. Superman sat her down gently and gave her a concerned look before speaking. 

"You sure this is safe?"

"I'll find out soon enough, won't I?" 

Even in times like this, Lena's sarcasm never missed a beat. Superman wasn't impressed though. 

"If you need anything..."

"Of course." Lena stated

"I'll let you know when it's safe to come back."

"Thank you, Superman. Until next time?"

Superman smiled slightly. 

"Let's hope the circumstances are a bit less dire next time."

Lena let out a small smile in return. Superman gave her a slight nod before taking off into the sky. 

Lena headed out of the alleyway and walked a few blocks down the street to the building where Gang Hua hopefully still resided. She wasn't sure what to expect as she entered the building. There she was, Lena Luthor, once the head of the technology department at one of the leading corporations in the U.S. Now she was about to show up on the doorstep of a woman she hardly knew with absolutely nothing left...nothing to her name. She let out a nervous sigh as she knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dedicate this chapter to Katie "That's a Lot of Boobs" McGrath...because how can I not? She is the inspiration behind the awesomeness that is Lena after all. ;)
> 
> P.S. After the last part of Lena's story, we'll get back to rescuing Kara. I'm thinking there may be just a few more chapters left and this story will come to an end. But if you have any suggestions on what you'd like to see happen or a scene you might like to see, feel free to let me know. You never know...one suggestion could turn into a three part Lena backstory little something extra to enjoy like the inspiration behind these Empowerment of Lena Luthor chapters! ;)


	30. The Empowerment of Lena Luthor: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back, Supergirl is back, and Kung Fu Lena Luthor is back. What more could you ask for? Maybe a bit of saltiness about the latest SG episode? To be honest, I didn't have too many problems with 2x18. It was Lena-centric which pretty much says it all. Lena is a goddess and my hero and was so damn gorgeous in every scene...be still my heart. And then there was Lena kicking ass..what? That pretty much finished me off. Mon-El was tolerable with his minimal screentime and comic relief. It's too bad they didn't write him like that to begin with. It's too late for his character to be redeemed in my eyes, but if he must stay, then keep him as the brother-like sidekick in the background and I'll be fine. The Guardian plot was pointless, as usual. And what's with Lyra? Why is she suddenly going crazy on Winn? It was weird and awkward and Winn deserves better. Also, SG writers-stop with the "so and so is my Kryptonite" line. It's not cute. It's not romantic. Kryptonite can kill a Super...or did you forget that? I actually liked Jack. My poor Lena. Why can't she be happy for more than a second? SG writers-if you make Lena turn to the darkside over a lost male love interest, I will hate you for all eternity so DON'T.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...also... we get it, SG writers...Kara and Lena are "friends." We know that's all you're ever going to let them be. We don't have to hear Kara say the word friend like 5 times in a single episode. It makes ya'll sound homophobic. But just so you know..."friends" don't usually keep getting flowers for each other. ;)

There was no answer. 

She knocked once more, pulling the collar of her jacket up around her neck to try to help shield herself from the chilling breeze. 

There was still no answer. 

A few snowflakes began to fall, leaving dots of wet coldness on her warm, exposed skin. Lena huddled further into her jacket, looking desperately at the door in front of her while hoping with all she had that there was someone on the other side. 

No answer. 

She closed her eyes and let out an exasperated breath. Of course there was nobody there. It had been over two years since she'd seen her former bodyguard. For all she knew, the woman could have been anywhere else in the world except at the address she had given her before Lena had left Beijing. It was the Luthor bad luck. What else could it be? At that thought, a small smile played across Lena's lips as she thought about her current situation. Why would it have gone any other way? She was a Luthor after all. 

With her eyes still closed, Lena slowly looked up towards the sky, feeling the subtle cold rushes of each snowflake landing on her face. There was something comforting about the falling snow. It reminded her of when she was a child...before she'd become a Luthor. But those comforting thoughts were quickly interrupted by a blaring horn from a nearby street followed by a screaming siren passing by. And she was abruptly brought back to reality...the reality that she was now stranded in a foreign city with no-one to turn to...nowhere to go. 

Lena opened her eyes and took a good look around her before her eyes settled back on the door in front of her. She let out a heavy sigh before taking a step back and turning her back to head back out onto the main street. But before she could get very far, she heard a slow creaking sound behind her. Lena turned around to see an elderly Chinese woman peeking out from the small crack she allowed between the door and doorframe. She looked sternly at Lena, saying nothing. Lena gingerly approached. 

"I...I ummm...I'm sorry, I must have the wrong address. I was looking for my friend, Gang Hua? Do you know her...or where I can find her? It's sort of...an emergency." 

The old woman said nothing. Lena gave her an apologetic smile and took a step back. 

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you. Thank you for your time." 

Lena was about to turn to leave when she heard the door creak open a bit further. She watched as Gang Hua stepped beside the old woman and regarded her curiously. Silence passed between the three women before Lena broke it with a slight shiver as the snowfall became heavier. 

"Ms. Luthor." Gang Hua finally stated as she stepped in front of the elderly woman. 

Lena could only let out a sigh of relief and nod slightly in response as her lips trembled from the cold. She watched as Gang Hua stepped back beside the old woman and bent down to whisper something into her ear. The old woman looked up at Lena, gave a nod, and then headed back into the house. 

"I apologize. My grandmother is very weary of outsiders. We don't see many guests here. Please...come in." 

"Thank you!" Lena let out in near exasperation as she followed her former body guard inside the house. 

*********************************************************************************************

Lena sat in front of the fireplace with a mug of tea, wrapped in a thick, cozy blanket and wearing a fresh pair of sweatpants and a sweater given to her by Gang Hua. She raised the mug to her lips and took a sip, letting the hot liquid warm her insides. She was deep in thought, wondering what her next move would be when her former bodyguard approached her with a bowl and a pair of chopsticks. Guang Hua carefully sat down beside Lena and handed her the bowl then the chopsticks. 

"Grandmother made it especially for you. She said it will help cleanse out your sorrows and give you an enlightened perspective."

Lena smiled gratefully and nodded her head in thanks. 

"Well if that's the case, I better have several bowls!" 

Lena dug into the bowl with her chopsticks as Gang Hua gave her a small amused smile. She let Lena eat in silence then gathered up the empty bowl, mug, and chopsticks and headed back towards the kitchen. 

A few minutes later, Gang Hua's grandmother came out into the small living room with a pillow and a blanket. She sat them down on the nearby couch, gave Lena a slight nod, and then left the room the same way she entered. Gang Hua came in a few moments later with a toothbrush, towel, and a few bath accessories. She handed them to Lena. 

"Thank you." Lena said softly. "For...well...everything."

"No need for thanks. Get some rest. We can talk about it in the morning." 

After she bid her goodnight, Gang Hua left the living room, leaving Lena alone with her thoughts once more. But as she made her way to the couch and got comfortable, she realized those thoughts were going to have to wait until the morning...because she was exhausted. And sleep came almost the instant her face snuggled into the pillow. 

*********************************************************************************************

Lena awoke the next morning the the smell of freshly brewed coffee. She'd slept surprisingly well, despite the circumstances she'd yet to fully face. With a stretch and a yawn, she sat up on the couch just as Gang Hua came into the living room carrying a tray with a bowl of something that was steaming and two mugs. She sat it down on the floor in front of the fireplace before turning to greet Lena. 

"Good morning. I hope you slept well? Grandmother made breakfast."

Lena gave her an appreciative smile as she got off the couch and sat down in front of it, leaning her back against it. 

"I feel better...rested. Thank you." Lena replied, studying the two mugs sitting on the tray.

"One is coffee and the other is tea. I know you Americans like your morning coffee, although grandmother insists you must also drink her special herbal tea blend as well. But I must admit...I also prefer the coffee." 

Lena chuckled as she picked up the mug of tea first, taking a sip. She tried her best to keep a straight face, but the bitter liquid tasted horrible. She finished it though, not wanting to show any disrespect towards the older woman she knew was probably watching from the nearby kitchen. 

"Impressive, Ms. Luthor. I can't even finish an entire mug of her special tea." 

Gang Hua let out a small chuckle at Lena's grimace then pointed to the bowl. 

"It's what we call congee...a rice porridge. Good for warming your stomach and giving you strength and nourishment. You eat."

"Will you join me?" Lena asked as she picked up the bowl and spoon.

Gang Hua gave Lena a slight nod before standing and walking away into the kitchen. She returned a few moments later with her own bowl and mug of coffee. They say in silence while they ate. Once they had finished and Lena had finished cleaning up at her insistence, she rejoined Gang Hua in the living room. She sat down beside her in front of the fireplace, not quite sure where to begin. 

"I owe you an explanation as to why I randomly showed up on you and your grandmother's doorstep." Lena started. 

"There is no need for explanation. I know what happened."

Lena looked over at the young Chinese woman, surprise written all over her face. 

"How...I mean was it on the news, or did-"

Before Lena could finish, Gang Hua reached over and gently took one of Lena's hand in hers, turning it over so that her knuckles were facing up. Lena looked down, noticing for the first time the condition of her hand. She raised up her free hand, examining it as well. Her knuckles were a bit swollen and bruised, various shades of red, purple, and blue a reminder of what had happened merely a day ago. She'd been so caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even noticed. She took her hand from Gang Hua's and held both hands level in front of her, squeezing them both into a fist and releasing before letting out a sigh. 

"You fought hard. I am proud." Gang Hua told her as Lena turned to meet the woman's sincere eyes. "You used what I taught you."

"I tried. But there were too many. I almost..." Lena let out another sigh. "Superman had to rescue me. I had him bring me here. It's not...it's not safe for me back home right now. I'm not even sure if it's safe here. Lex...he has contacts all over the world. And when he finds me...he-"

"If he finds you...then you will be ready. But you are a strong woman, Ms. Luthor. I have a feeling it will be the other way around. You will find him...when you are ready." 

"Well I don't know about that. I feel so...helpless right now. I'm out of my element. I'm not a woman who runs from things. A Luthor doesn't run. But here I am...I ran. I ran and I should have stayed a fought." 

"To know when to run is a brave thing. You underestimate yourself. You have the heart of a warrior. You just need to learn how to dig deep, find it, and harness it. I can help you with that. But it's going to take time and discipline...if you're willing."

"I'm willing. I just don't know if I'm...capable."

"You're capable, Lena Luthor." 

She said it with such strong conviction that Lena had to believe it...believe in herself. 

"I am capable." Lena said softly, working up the courage to allow herself to accept it. 

Gang Hua gave her a small smile of encouragement. 

"We'll head out tomorrow. The journey will be long. But remember...you are capable."

Lena nodded and the two women sat in silence for a while. And she could only hope that Gang Hua's faith in her was well-founded. She was Lena Luthor after all. And a Luthor was alway capable...no matter the circumstances. 

******************************************************************************************

The trip was definitely a long one. Thankfully Gang Hua had offered to drive her. It was one of the new perks, she'd explained, of owning her own business. During the drive, Lena had learned that her former bodyguard no longer worked for the agency Lex had hired to protect Lena while she was in Beijing on business. The enterprising young woman had started her own private bodyguard company. Her bodyguards were all women whom she always trained herself before deeming them ready to work in the field. Gang Hua explained that there was a growing need for female bodyguards from clients who were typically high-profile women who felt more comfortable around a women. Plus, she explained, that it was a lot easier for a female bodyguard to blend in and be inconspicuous while protecting the client. It was all very fascinating to Lena, and she could tell that Gang Hua was doing very well with her business, though the humble Chinese woman would never hint at such a thing. 

The final drive up the mountain to reach the temple site was done in silence. Lena spent the time reflecting on everything that had brought her to this moment. Where she was right now...she never expected it. Why would she? She was a scientist, a tech genius, well on her way helping Lex run the family business. But that reality seemed like it had been ages ago. And now here she was...on the way to uncertainty down a path of questions that held no answers. She was hopeful though...that the answers she sought would find her in this new and unfamiliar setting she was about to find herself in. 

Gang Hua parked the car at the front gates of the temple. Lena fidgeted with her hands nervously. The Chinese woman reached out and placed her hand atop Lena's. When Lena looked over at her, the former body guard gave her a stern yet reassuring smile. 

"You are capable."

Lena nodded and tried her best to smile back. Gang Hua released her hand from Lena's and reached back to grab the backpack resting on the back seat. She handed it over to Lena. 

"You'll enter through here and ask for The Master. He's expecting you. When your training here is finished, you will return to Beijing to see me, and we will continue with that training."

"And how long will that take?"

Gang Hua let out an amused smile.

"As long as is needed." She nodded towards the car door.

Lena reluctantly opened the door and stepped out, slinging the backpack onto her shoulders. She looked at Gang Hua with complete sincerity in her eyes. 

"Thank you." Lena stated, keeping her emotions in check. 

Guang Hua merely nodded before starting up the car. Lena watched as the car turned around and headed back down the mountain, disappearing from sight. She turned to face the imposing temple gates in front of her. 

"I am capable." She whispered as she walked towards the entrance. 

*******************************************************************************************

For the first month, Lena was tasked with doing everyday chores around the temple grounds. It was to instill discipline, The Master's interpreter had told her. This discipline had, among such things like learning to cook traditional temple foods and groundskeeping, also including learning the basics of the Mandarin language. That was the easiest part of said discipline for Lena. Learning another language was like defeating Lex at chess...quite easy. It was the cooking part that she found to be the most difficult. She was a Luthor after all. And that had meant private chefs and five star dining cooked by the world's best. How was she to know that something as simple as cooking rice could be so hard? But eventually, like the smart woman she was, she was able to cook that rice perfectly. 

The next phase of her training involved meditation. This proved to be a very difficult concept for Lena to master. Even before spending nights alone on a simple cot in her small room on the temple grounds, she'd had trouble with calming her mind...especially at night. And now with so much more on her mind, the whole meditation thing was beyond frustrating to her. She was encouraged to roam around the grounds and find the perfect spot that spoke to her spirit. That part hadn't been hard. Everywhere she roamed outside the temple she could find a breathtaking view of the countryside from the temple's mountaintop location. The hard part was mastering and taming the frantic, runaway thoughts and fears that trampled through her head. 

It took her two months and the help of several of the resident monks before she was finally able to calm her mind and properly meditate for the first time. She'd use the term properly loosely though. But it had at least been the first time she was able to clear the worries out and let the calmness in. A week later, she was invited to meditate with The Master himself. And by that time, she didn't need his interpreter any more. 

"You are capable." He said in Mandarin...the only words he spoke to her before they began their meditation session...

...The next couple of months involved her fight training. And Lena spent many nights groaning from the sheer soreness, aches, and pains that came with her rigorous training schedule. Eventually though, her body got used to it and she was amazed but just how strong and agile her body was becoming. That strength and agility carried over to her mind as well. Her meditation sessions became longer and more productive. Her mind and body were in sync...and for Lena, that was not only a satisfying, but a beautiful thing. 

Before she knew it, it had been a little over a year since she'd arrived at the temple, and she had just met with The Master and had her final evaluation and meditation session. Afterwards, she found herself walking towards the front gate, backpack slung over her shoulder and a proud smile on her face. What had been discussed during her session with The Master...well that was something she was going to hold onto...keep close to her heart and soul. But maybe one day she'd be willing to share it with someone worthy enough accept her for who she was...Luthor and all. 

The bus pulled up to the gate as she exited. She took a quick look back at the temple with a fondness in her heart before quickly hopping onto the bus. She didn't look back as the temple disappeared while the bus made its way down the mountain. 

*************************************************************************************

When she arrived at Gang Hua's door, she took a moment to reflect on just how far she'd come since the last time she'd been there. It had been well over a year ago. And that Lena had been afraid, uncertain, and for all intents and purposes...incapable. But the Lena that currently stood there...she was now fearless, certain...and very, very capable. Lena smiled to herself and raised her hand to knock on the door. But before she could knock, the door opened. Before her stood Gang Hua's grandmother. The old woman regarded Lena for a moment before giving her a welcoming smile. Lena couldn't help but smile back. 

"I'm ready." Lena said to the woman in Mandarin. 

The old woman gave her an understanding nod and motioned for Lena to come inside. She followed the old woman as she walked through the house to a back door, which lead to a flight of stairs outside. She motioned for Lena to climb the stairs before taking her leave and heading back inside the house. Lena climbed the stairs to find Gang Hua sitting on the ground of an outdoor patio. She appeared to be deep in meditation, so Lena approached quietly and sat down beside her. 

"I told you...you were capable." Guang Hua said, breaking the silence but keeping her eyes closed and staying in her meditative position. 

Lena let out an amused chuckle and waited for the Chinese woman to finish with her meditation. Gang Hua finished and stood, prompting Lena to stand as well. She looked over at Lena as if to make sure she was still intact, which amused Lena even more. Lena held out her arms, inviting her to step in for a hug. Gang Hua obliged, a rare thing for her...which Lena knew and that made it all the more special for her. 

"It's really good to see you." Lena said as she pulled away from the hug. 

"You may not think that once you see what I have in store for you training wise." Gang Hua replied with a smug look on her face. 

"As I told your grandmother when she opened the door..." Lena crossed her arms in a bring it on manner. "I am ready." She finished, this time in Mandarin. 

"Then let's get started." Gang Hua countered, also in Chinese. 

Little did Lena know...those Shaolin monks had nothing on the petite Chinese woman about to put her through kung fu training hell...

***************************************************************************************

She'd been enrolled in Gang Hua's bodyguard training classes the last six months. And to say it was...intense, would be an understatement. But Lena held her own with her fellow classmates as they trained day and night. It was also an understatement to say that Gang Hua took her job very seriously. She pushed the women to their limits and beyond. It was hard, it was psychically and mentally tasking as all hell, and it would surely break anyone who let doubt or weakness seep into their tired muscles and minds. And Lena loved every minute of it. 

At the end of the sixth month, her fellow classmates had graduated and began their careers as bodyguards for Gang Hua's clients. Lena, however, wasn't yet done with her training. 

The next six months, Gang Hua focused more on the mind and connecting it with the body. They spent long hours meditating on Gang Hua's patio, with her grandmother occasionally coming up to leave them mysterious herbal teas for when they came out of their meditations. She taught Lena Tai Chi and how to use the fluid movements of the practice to line up her mind, body, and spirit. And of course, she also learned some very advanced kung-fu moves too. 

...It had been a little over two years since Lena had arrived in China. Lena and Gang Hua were sitting up on the patio, sipping her grandmother's tea. Lena had grown to love the taste of it. She even preferred it over coffee these days. They had been sitting in silent reflection, watching the sun set over the city when Gang Hue broke that silence suddenly. 

"Your time here is about to end." She said nonchalantly as if she knew what was about to happen. 

All of a sudden, a whirlwind of red and blue appeared on the patio behind them. Lena turned.

"Superman!" Lena exclaimed as she leapt up and walked towards him. 

"You're needed back in Metropolis, Lena. It's Lex...he's-"

"I understand." Lena said, not ready to hear what Lex had done this time. 

Lena slowly turned to Gang Hua who was still looking out over the city. She and Superman approached her. Gang Hua stood as Superman introduced himself and shook her hand. The Chinese woman's eyes were intense as she looked back at Lena. 

"Remember, Ms. Lena Luthor...you do not run. You never did run. You just needed to learn how to fight with this..." Gang Hua pointed to her head. "And balance it with this..." She made a fist with one hand and pointed it to with the other. You never did run. You are capable. You will fight. You are...a fighter." 

Before Lena could shed the tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Gang Hua gave her a small smile and excused herself from the patio. Lena watched as her friend and mentor walked down the stairs. Her eyes remained on the stairs even as Gang Hua disappeared and Superman reached out the ready her for their flight back to Metropolis. On the way back home, she replayed Gang Hua's words over and over in her head. And by the time they landed and she'd received the news that Lex has been sentenced to 30 consecutive life sentences and she was now the CEO of LuthorCorp, those words still remained forever etched in her mind and heart...

...Lena Luthor, you never did run. You are capable. You will fight. You are...a fighter..."

***************************************  
PRESENT DAY  
***************************************

Lena opened her eyes, coming out of her meditation. She still felt Kara's presence around her there in the middle of the DEO training room floor. In fact it felt even stronger than before. The words Gang Hua had told her were still fresh in her mind. Taking in a deep breath, she melded those words in her mind with the presence of Kara in her heart. She exhaled...

...you never did run. You are capable. You will fight. You are...a fighter...

Lena stood with purpose and marched out of the training room. 

*************************************************************************

When she entered the main control room, the scene was pretty much the same as when she left it to go meditate. The room was buzzing with more scenarios and heated tensions as they still hadn't seemed to get any closer to figuring out how they should approach getting Kara back. Lena, taking long, strong strides, walked to the center of of it all, where Alex, J'onn, Winn, James, and Maggie, among several other DEO agents were standing. 

"Enough!" Lena stated sternly. It wasn't exactly a yell, but it wasn't a quiet exclamation either. 

The room suddenly became quiet, and once again, all eyes were on Lena. She looked at Alex with vigorous determination. 

"The longer we stand here debating the best way to rescue Kara...that's more time my mother has to...do whatever she has in mind to harm her. There's nothing to discuss. You will do what Lillian wants. You will give me up to her."

Alex opened her mouth to protest, but Lena cut her off before she could even start. 

"I've made my decision. This is how it has to be."

A few of the DEO agents mumbled amongst themselves as J'onn stepped forward and approached Lena. 

"I trust that you and your agents will have my back?" Lena asked J'onn.

"We will do whatever it takes to see to it that we get you both out safely." J'onn replied. 

Lena gave J'onn a slight nod of thanks before he walked off, motioning several agents to follow him. Alex was next to approach Lena. 

"You don't have to do this. We can find another way." Alex said with concern in her eyes. 

"There is no other way. We both know it. It has to be this way." Lena replied calmly. 

"Why?" Alex asked, already knowing the answer. 

"Because Kara would do the same for me...for any of you without hesitation." 

Alex nodded in understanding and Lena took a step away, but then stopped herself. 

"And because I'm Lena Luthor. I don't run. I stay and fight." 

With that being said, Lena marched off in search of J'onn. There was a strategy to plan. There was a superhero to save. There was a part of her heart that needed to be reclaimed. But no matter how impossible it all seemed, Lena wasn't afraid. Because she knew...she was capable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dedicate this chapter to Lena "I wouldn't know, I've never stood behind a man" Luthor and Kara "I'll protect you always, I promise" Danvers. Because...Supercorp. ;)
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. I forgot to add something when I posted last night, so just a quick update...
> 
> I'll probably be wrapping this up within the next 4-5 chapters or so...maybe at least stretch it out until the season finale of SG. So let me know what you'd like to see happen? What should happen to Lillian? Do you want more angst before the Kara/Lena reunion fluff and aftermath? If so, what should happen...and injury? Something else traumatic? And the fluff...what would you like to see? I'm all ears and totally open to suggestions!


	31. For the First Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara and Lillian have a chat and Lena gets ready to take on her mother. 
> 
> Okay...so 2x19. I don't mean to rain on the Sanvers parade, but...I feel I may be one of the only ones that didn't think the episode was all that great. Before you throw daggers at me, just hear me out. And we can always discuss it in the comments if you want to disagree and argue your case as to why you thought it was so good...which is what I keep seeing in various reviews and reactions. So I'll continue this in the chapter notes below since there's not enough characters left here for me to rant on...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...okay so, look, Sanvers got their I love yous, and I'm happy for them. If you want my honest opinion though, they've had such little screen time since getting together in 2x8 that I really wish they would have been given more development and held off on the I love yous until the finale. Also...the writers used the most cliched trope in the book...the "I almost died so I have to say I love you" one. I could think of so many more epic and original ways for those badass ladies to have finally said it. How about in the season finale, alien guns blazing before running in to fight the Daxamites? But honestly, my issues with the episode weren't with Sanvers. Like I said, I'm happy for them. And I'm glad Maggie got more screen time!
> 
> My main issue, which nobody seems to be addressing, is how OOC Kara was in this episode. Let's be honest though, she's been OOC pretty much this entire season, but it's gotten worse since Mon-El entered the picture. In that dinner scene, Kara was acting like a hot-headed, egotistical child. You want my honest opinion...she was acting like...Mon-El. Then she stomped away and left in such a childish way because Maggie was calling her on her shit. And let's not get started on Mon-El's comment at the table at how "being a superhero himself" (Just...I'm sorry, f*ck off with trying to keep getting us to believe that he's a hero) but that wasn't even the worst part. It was the "sometimes it's better to punch than to talk" that finished that line where I was like...what? Because that's what Kara did pretty much the whole episode...she went in, fists blazing, roughing everyone up before using her head and thinking things through. So basically I guess now Mon-El's "superhero" mantra has also been adopted by Kara. Isn't that so romantic? :P 
> 
> There were tons of plot holes...for instance...why exactly couldn't J'onn read that Rick dude's mind? He was able to out mind-read that powerful mind-reader dude in the bounty hunter episode. But he can't read a mere human's mind? 
> 
> Having Maggie apologize to Kara in the end also irritated me. Maggie had nothing to apologize for. She was the one being level-headed. It wasn't until she was desperate and went to break Thompson out that she was acting irrationally. And that was because she wasn't being heard. She had no choice. Why is Maggie always having to apologize? And Maggie saying they make a great team..what team? They were working against each other the entire episode. 
> 
> Lena...my badass savior of Season 2...slowly step away from Rhea and never look back. Listen, at this point I don't trust the writers at all not to f*ck her character up too. But I find it hard to believe that they can make her "turn evil" at this point when her initial reaction to Rhea's portal design was that it could help solve world hunger and climate change. That's definitely not the reaction a diabolical villain would have. And she really wants to do right by Kara and prove that she's not a typical Luthor and she did that by agreeing to work with Rhea so people would see she's not afraid to work with an alien. She really wants to help. It's going to crush her when she finds out who Rhea really is. And I'm tired of Lena hurting. It's enough. She needs a genuine hug of appreciation, a vacation, and a kiss from Kara before she comes back and has to deal with Season 3 shit...just saying. ;) 
> 
> So there are three episodes left and I'm still waiting to feel some sort of urgency for the final buildup in the finale. What was that...the next episode is James-centric? Of course it is...because we don't need to know what happened to Lillian and Cadmus and Jeremiah or if Rhea is supposed to be the replacement "big bad" of Season 2. We need more Guardian <\----that's sarcasm, by the way. ;) Okay...enough venting of the frustrations. Let's just hope upon all hope that when Cat returns she sorts everything out! 
> 
> Okay...now back to the actual story...enjoy the chapter! Thanks for reading and enduring my rants. Don't be afraid to chime in either. I welcome healthy discussion about the show and my story!

Kara's eyes blinked several times before finally being able to stay open and focus in on the hard red light blaring down upon her from the ceiling. That's when she realized she was lying on a table. How had she gotten there? The last thing she remembered was confronting Lillian and...well anything after that was a blank. Had she fainted? Had Lillian injected her with something? Her head felt hazy and her body felt achy. She tried to sit up, only to realize that her wrists and ankles were held down by restraints. Frustrated, she fought against them. She knew it was no use without her powers, but she used all the strength she could muster in her weakened state to try to break free. With gritted teeth and a scream of determination, she gave it one last try...

She fought so hard against the restraints that they cut into her wrists, drawing blood. She let out a yelp of surprise more than pain as her body fell against the table in defeat. 

"I'll admit. The restraints were a bit of an...overkill."

Kara heard Lillian's footsteps get closer until the Luthor was standing over her, a sly smirk on her face. 

"But I needed to make sure you understood just how serious I am about what I need from you and my daughter." 

"It's a little late to be asking for any sort of understanding, don't you think?" Kara hissed from her gritted teeth as she tried one last time to free herself. 

Lillian's smile widened at the sight of the Super in front of her...weak and helpless. 

"I'd save my strength if I were you, Ms. Danvers. You're going to need it pretty soon."

Kara paused and looked up at Lillian, determination in her eyes. 

"If you think I will have anything to do with whatever sick scheme you have up your sleeve, you should-"

"Save it, Supergirl. Look at yourself. You're current situation doesn't warrant negotiations or threats."

Lillian walked over to the corner of the room to a cart containing medical supplies. She grabbed a few first aid items and a chair and made her way back over to Kara. She pulled over a small medical cart and sat the supplies down on it. 

"Now, Ms. Danvers. I'm willing to call a truce for the time being and treat those nasty, self-inflicted wounds on your wrist."

Lillian approached the table and bent over Kara. Her face looked ominous and evil against the red glow of the light overhead. 

"But I'm warning you, one attempt to do anything other than sit up, and you'll feel quite a lot more pain."

Lillian pushed aside her jacket to reveal a large dagger in a sheath hooked to her belt. Kara saw a faint green glow coming from it. 

"Do we have an agreement?"

Kara studied the knife a moment longer before looking back at Lillian and giving her a slight nod. With a sly smile of approval, Lillian reached under the table, pressing a button. The restraint on Kara's left wrist opened up. She moved down to Kara's left ankle, again pressing a button under the table and releasing Kara. Lillian did the same for Kara's right side, fully releasing her from the restraints. Kara quickly sat up, and was suddenly overwhelmed by a dizzy feeling in her head. After taking in a few deep breaths and exhaling, she was able to shake the dizziness. That's when she noticed the throbbing pain in her wrists. She brought her hand up to her left wrist, examining the wound. 

Lillian sat down and put on a pair of surgical gloves. She grabbed a bottle of saline solution and a few cotton swabs. Then she observed Kara as she examined her wrists. 

"Low-grade Kryptonite-infused cuffs."

Kara looked over at Lillian in confusion. 

"That's why you're feeling a bit...off. The restraints are lined with low grade Kryptonite. They're Lex's design. My boy Lex...he's quite the genius."

"It doesn't take a genius to use Kryptonite against a Super. You know what takes genius? Knowing how to make an alien-killing virus inert and fooling you." Kara replied, smirking at how Lillian's face turned into a look of displeasure. 

"I never said my daughter wasn't a genius. She's beyond brilliant. She graduated early from MIT...at the top of her class. But I'm sure you already knew that." 

Kara frowned at Lillian's response. Of course she knew Lena was brilliant. But they hadn't really had time enough together to get to know each other like that. And it made Kara all the more determined to get out of Lillian's clutches and return safely to Lena's arms. Safely where they could snuggle up on the couch together talking about anything and everything...like what it must have been like graduating with honors from the most prestigious tech school in the country. 

"May I?" Lillian asked, interrupting Kara's thoughts. 

Kara held out her right wrist. She watched as Lillian meticulously cleaned the wounds made from the restraints. She motioned to Kara's other wrist and did the same. Next she grabbed a bottle of antiseptic. She dabbed a cotton ball with the liquid and applied it to Kara's wrist, making her jump and give a small squeak of pain at the touch. 

"My apologies. I forgot to mention...this may sting a little." 

Lillian let out a small, satisfied chuckle. Kara gritted her teeth in anger, but let Lillian continue. She winced a bit as Lillian applied the antiseptic to her other wrist. When she was done, Lillian patted the wounds dry and wrapped both of Kara's wrists in gauze. 

"Thank you." Kara said as Lillian took off her surgical gloves. 

"I assure you, I did it only for my benefit. Plus, the wounds will heal perfectly fine once you get...some of your powers back. But in the meantime, I can't have Supergirl being weakened by an infection, now can I? That would certainly put a damper on my plans."

"Plans that involve me getting my powers back?" Kara let out a sarcastic chuckle. "Good luck with that. The minute they return I'll-"

"What did say about threats, Supergirl? You're in no position to threaten me. Nor will you be in the position to do so when your powers return. You should know by know that a Luthor always has her bases covered."

Kara's brow furrowed in frustration. Lillian approached her and tilted her chin up so that Kara's eyes met hers. 

"Come now, Ms. Danvers. Why the long face? Especially when you get to be a firsthand witness to the ultimate true genius made possible by none other than the Luthor siblings."

Lillian lowered her hand from Kara's face and grinned just as Cyborg Superman came into the room. 

"Now it's time to find out just how much of a Luthor your precious Lena really is."

Lillian motioned at Cyborg Superman with her head, still looking Kara intensely in the eyes. He approached the table and grabbed Kara's arm, coaxing her to stand. Lillian broke her icy stare and headed for the exit. 

"This way, Ms. Danvers."

**************************************************************************************  
Meanwhile...at the DEO...  
**************************************************************************************

The instructions from CADMUS had come through the DEO screens twenty minutes ago. Alex, Maggie, and J'onn were preparing their tactical teams for the rendezvous. Yes, the instructions had been for Lena to arrive unarmed and alone, but they weren't going to take any chances. They also knew they had to plan with zero room for a slip-up, because both Kara and Lena's lives were on the line. Lena had tried, to no avail, to convince them to let her go alone, citing that she knew best how to handle her mother. But mention of Cyborg Superman and the potential for Metallo to still be lurking in the CADMUS shadows had made her finally agree to having backup...just as long as they laid low and did nothing to interfere with whatever may transpire. Lena trusted them. Now it was time for them to put their trust in her. 

She'd been lost in thought long enough to have missed the last couple of things Winn had said to her while outfitting her with a few tech gadgets. When her eyes met Winn's, he knew that her mind was elsewhere. But this was a matter of Lena's security, and she needed to know what everything was for. 

"Listen, we're going to get you both back safely, okay? But I need you to with me right now. I need you to be able to use this tech so that you're fully protected and we stay fully informed, alright?"

Lena could only nod slightly. She knew she needed to be strong, stoic...for Kara, for herself...for everyone at the DEO. But that weight was pressing down ever the more intensely on her shoulders. 

Winn studied the brave woman standing in front of him for a moment, wishing he could help ease her worries. This was the woman Kara loved. Well, Kara hadn't actually confessed she was in love to him yet, but he could tell. He saw their stolen glances when they'd both been at the DEO a few days earlier. He saw the way Kara's eye lit up whenever she talked about the CEO. He saw how fiercely she defended Lena long before they were romantically involved. And it didn't take a tech genius to know that Lena felt the same about Kara. Lena would defend Kara fiercely too, and she was doing so by giving herself to CADMUS in order to save Kara. If that wasn't love, Winn didn't have a clue as to what was. 

Winn quickly cleared his throat. 

"Ummmm...did you...can I give you...a hug? Would you like a hug? I mean Kara is so into hugs and she always knows when I need one. And no offense, but you really look like you could use one." 

Lena let out an amused chuckle at Winn's endearing offer. His rambling reminded her so much of Kara. 

"Yes, please." Lena responded quietly. 

Winn opened his arms with a small smile, waiting for Lena to step in. She slowly stepped into his embrace and let out a sigh of relief as his arms wrapped around her. She let herself be held for a few moments, as Winn gave her back a reassuring rub. 

"You're both gonna be home before you know it." Winn whispered to Lena. "You'll be back right in time for game night. How are you at charades, because I call dibs on you as my teammate if you're any good."

Lena let out a small laugh as she pulled away from Winn. 

"I'm more of a chess woman, Mr. Schott. But strategic games aside, I must warn you, no matter the challenge, I am very...very competitive. So having me on your team would definitely be to your benefit."

"Ohhhhh...competitive and cocky. I like that, Ms. Luthor. We'll make Kara pair up with James. Between those two, and team Sanvers...we'll wipe the floor with the competition...no contest." Winn leaned in for dramatic effect. "And don't tell Kara I said this but...she really sucks at charades anyway."

Lena laughed again, thankful for the diversion Winn had given her. 

"Now, let's finish up with your tech so we can practice our game night victory dance, shall we?"

"We shall, Mr. Schott." Lena replied.

As she listened to Winn describe the piece of equipment in his hands, Lena couldn't help but feel a welcoming warmth come over her. Winn, Alex, Maggie, James, J'onn...this was Kara's family, and she was being accepted into that family now. And family was something she hadn't quite had since her childhood time with Lex. She took in a deep, calming breath,trying not to get too overwhelmed by it all as Winn continued explaining how his tech worked. 

***************************************************************************

Thirty minutes later, the meetup time with CADMUS was drawing near. Lena had been briefed by J'onn and Alex on where the DEO agents would be stationed and what Lena needed to accomplish before she gave them the okay that they could move in. That alone really put the pressure on. She was the one who had to neutralize the threat of Lillian and whatever manipulated, part human part robot or alien minions she had protecting her and deem it safe for J'onn, Alex, Maggie, and their teams to infiltrate. But Lena was taking it all in stride. She knew what was at stake. She knew what she had to do. And while the DEO was abuzz with last minute preparations, Lena kept two things in mind...Kara's beautiful, bashful smile and her mantra...that she was capable. 

While everyone else was suiting up and getting ready, Alex and Maggie approached her. 

"Hey, Lil' Luthor. You ready for this?" Maggie asked, concern in her eyes. 

"Lil' Luthor? Seriously? Don't ever call me that again." Lena chided.

Alex let out a huffed chuckle. 

"Ha! Good luck with that. Do you know how long Kara has been trying to get her to stop calling her Lil' Danvers?"

Maggie's lips turned up into a satisfied smirk. 

"Too bad she loves it now. So, Lil' Luthor...you ready?"

Lena could only shake her head in amusement. 

"Yeah. I'm ready." Lena replied softly. 

"Thank you for doing this." Alex said sincerely. 

"There's no need for thanks. If it were either of you in my shoes, you'd be doing the same thing." Lena replied. 

Alex and Maggie answered at the same time. 

"Hell yeah!"  
"Damn right!"

The three women broke out into small chuckles as Alex and Maggie gave each other playful nudges with their shoulders. Then the two women did something that surprised Lena. Alex came around to her left side while Maggie came around to her right side. Both women put their arm around Lena's shoulders. The surprise was quickly replaced with a sense of calm. She felt safe. She felt loved. And she was ready to go get her girl. 

"Come on, Lil' Luthor. Let's go get your girl." Maggie said, a look of determination on her face. 

They walked together down the hallway of the DEO towards the exit. Alex and Maggie kept their arms around Lena's shoulders. And for the first time in a long time, Lena didn't feel alone. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she belonged somewhere. And for the first time...she was on her way into the pits of hell (so to speak) to get back the woman she loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lena saving the girl she loves is my mantra.
> 
> By the way...can we assume that Lena is a confirmed vegetarian now? Because...kale? I mean...I'm just wondering because that would just further my love for her...haha! ;)


	32. Luthors with Lasers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone. My apologies for the late update this week. I think I lost most of my writing inspiration after having to endure what the writers did to Lena in this week's episode. Pardon me while I let out a long ********sigh********
> 
> So I'll do my usual rant fun down in the chapter notes in case you just want to skip to the story...
> 
> In this chapter...Kara find out (sort of) what Lillian is up to and why she needs Supergirl to carry out her plan...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hold on...I'm not done with my *********exasperated sigh************* yet. ********** Okay....let's begin with the episode 2x20 rant....
> 
> Do the CW writers have to meet this quota per show that there has to be a strong female character that is tortured continuously (whether emotionally or physically)? You know who comes to mind aside from Lena...Raven from "the 100." Or are the SG writers just that irritated that we ended up loving Lena and absolutely despising their "golden boy" Mon-El so now Lena has to suffer? Stop it already. It's enough. It's like when Raven had to be mentally tortured by ALLIE because her physical torture with her leg wasn't enough. (FYI, I'm not watching Season 4 of the 100 so who knows if they've tortured her even more. You can let me know if you are watching the current season) Like Raven, Lena has been through enough. She's had to deal with Lex turning into a psychotic murderer plus having not only her brother but her mother try to kill her or harm her on numerous occasions. She recently found out she's really a Luthor, she lost Jack, and now...she was used by Rhea when she truly only wanted to be validated by a mother figure and do some damn good in a world that has continuously worked against her. Is that not enough? Apparently not, because it looks like the rumors are true about the whole "arranged marriage" bullshit. But that's a whole other topic to address, so hold on.
> 
> I really thought after two episode of very little Mon-El being somewhat tolerable as a comic relief side-kick character, I would get a break from having to talk about how worthless he is. Then he's back at it again (being worthless) this episode. How can the writers continuosly try to TELL us he's changed and that he's a "hero" when he still hasn't proved that he's either? He stood around like an idiot doing nothing while Catco was under attack and watched as a huge piece of ceiling almost fell on James. Then the mommy dearest showdown...why the hell didn't he attempt to knock or kick that white martian device out of her hand and then at least try go fight her? They still could have had her beat him and the storyline wouldn't have changed. The Daxamites would still be invading and at least he would have scored some "points" in the attempted hero department. But no...he stood there and did nothing, once again. Listen...if he's not gone by the finale...I seriously don't think I can take having to see him in Season 3.
> 
> Speaking of that showdown scene...ummmmm, hey Kara, Lena is knocked out over there by those broken shelves. You think maybe you could grab her and take her to safety before flying out of there? No? Wow, okay...
> 
> James...he hasn't really changed either. He's still got an egotistical superhero complex. I mean, it's no secret that I hate the Guardian storyline. I don't hate James though. I just hate what they've done to his character. I'd be perfectly fine with him staying on as the "hero without a cape" Let's just hope it stays that way and the whole Guardian thing gets scrapped. I liked Marcus and his mom. Is is bad that I thought they were more interesting than James? 
> 
> Lastly there's that "arranged marriage" shit between Lena and Mon-El coming up next episode that I feel I must address. Remember when Supergirl was a great feminist show...when there were strong women depicted and not only was it great to see so many kick-ass women in one show, but it was empowering. We already know most of that has been lost in Season 2. But you want to know how to kill the feminist message you keep trying to tell us you're wanting to put on display with Supergirl? You come up with an idea about as un-empowering as it can get...forcing a woman into a marriage. And not just any woman...one of your most strongest, independent, and smartest of female characters...Lena. I don't care if the wedding is stopped before it can even start. Just the notion that any writer in the SG writers room would think that an arranged marriage would be a good idea is...I don't...I can't even fathom how to address that without breaking out into a string of profanities. So...how do you all feel about...everything? Haha...let me know and we can discuss in the comments. 
> 
> Oh yeah...and enjoy the new chapter! :)

Kara didn't put up a fight as she was led by the imposing Cyborg Superman down a dark hallway. She heard the distant sound of Lillian's powerful steps hitting the concrete floor until it was silent. As they turned the corner, they came to a stop in front of a large, heavy-looking vault door. Lillian was waiting in front of the door, her arms crossed in front of her chest with a sly grin on her face. 

"Where are we?" Kara asked as she pulled her arm from Cyborg Superman's grasp. 

"Well that, Supergirl, is top secret information. But what I will tell you is that where we're about to go, and what you're about to do for me...is going to change the world...for the better."

Lillian typed a long sequence of numbers into the keypad next to the vault door. 

"If you think I'm going to help you with anything, you-"

"Oh you will help, Supergirl. I guarantee it. But before we get into that...shall we?"

The vault door clicked open and Lillian stepped aside as Cyborg Superman pulled it open for her. 

"This way, please." Lillian stated, motioning into the room with her hand. 

Kara walked reluctantly towards Lillian. Cyborg Superman gave her a strong nudge, forcing her into the room. As they entered the room, the lights slowly flickered on, one row at a time, revealing a vast warehouse looking place. Much to Kara's surprise, they lights weren't red. However, he'd been deprived of yellow sunlight for far too long to have any hopes of her powers regenerating to full force any time soon. But if she could absorb enough power to at least get some of her strength back...

Those hopes were quickly dashed when she saw Lillian enter more numbers onto a keypad next to the vault door. After a few beeps, the walls of the room began to light up into a very faint green. She heard Lillian's footsteps approach from behind. 

"Don't worry, Supergirl. Again...it's low-grade Kryptonite. Just enough to keep your powers in check."

"Sorry to disappoint you, Lillian. But my powers are non-existent, thanks to you. Looks like you're going to need a new plan." 

Kara turned to Lillian, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. Lillian crossed her arms over her chest in response, not the least bit phased by the Super in front of her. 

"Lex was right, in his observations and writings of Superman. A Super is smug with or without their powers." Lillian took a step closer to Kara. "It's that lack of humility...that sense of having a God complex...that makes so many of us mere mortals realize what a threat you truly are. But that's something we can talk about another time...perhaps when I'm in need of...your services again." Lillian smirked at Kara before walking past her. 

When Kara turned around, she saw Lillian heading towards something covered in a tarp. Next to it, there was a large lab table filled with various tech gadgets and chemistry equipment. Lillian stepped over to the table and bent down, unlocking a drawer under the table. She took out a laptop and powered it up. The next thing she knew, Kara was being nudged by Cyborg Superman to walk over to Lillian. 

Lillian didn't look up from her laptop as Kara was marched past her. As she was pushed past whatever it was that Lillian was hiding under the tarp, she was halted in front of a chair that looked like something one would see at the dentist...only much more hi-tech, and most likely Supergirl proof, judging by it's metal alloy-looking sheen. 

"Sit." Cyborg Superman growled. 

Kara sat, feeling the cool metal of the chair beneath her. Cyborg Superman approached the chair. Reaching underneath the right armrest, he pressed a button, releasing a restraining cuff out of the armrest. He walked around to the other side, doing the same thing. Kara looked down at the restraints and then over at Lillian, clearly annoyed. 

"Seriously?" 

Lillian looked up from her laptop and over at Kara. She smiled at the Kryptonian. 

"I'm not one to take chances, Supergirl." Lillian started as she walked over to Kara. "Have you noticed the lights in here?"

Lillian looked up at the ceiling then back at Kara. Kara didn't bother to look up. She could tell by the slight buzzing of energy through her veins that they were UV lights...like the ones in her solar bed at the DEO. 

"At the moment, your cells are recharging. But of course you can already feel that, I'm sure. Soon you'll be at around fifty percent...charged...is that how you'd say it?" Lillian lets out a chuckle. "Once you're there, you should have enough power to...do what needs to be done. The restraints...and the Kryptonite-infused walls are just a precaution. I don't intend to harm you, Kara. Surely you see that by now?"

"Oh I see you, Lillian. And if you think for one second that I'd believe your intentions aren't world-domination sized evil, they I'd say the Kryptonite has been going to your head."

Lillian let out an amused chuckle. 

"How cute...a Super with a sense of humor." Lillian takes a step closer to Kara, locking the restraints into place around her wrists. "Have I mentioned, Supergirl, that Lena had a huge part in what I'm about to unveil to you."

"Lena would never work with you."

"Well...that may be true...for right now. But she'll come around...quite literally." Lillian looked down at her watch. "Pretty soon actually, which is why we have to stay on schedule."

"Leave Lena out of this. She's suffered enough at your hand. Take whatever you need from me. But I won't let you hurt her...not ever again."

"Silly girl. I don't intend to hurt her. That's never been my intention. But I'm afraid I will be needing her to complete this..."

Lillian walked over to the tarp and pulled it away, revealing a mysterious looking machine beneath. Lillian walked around it, a smile on her face and looking proud. 

"What you see here is a state of the art laser-firing mechanism, with the potential for things greater than most could ever comprehend!" 

"I'm sure I can comprehend one way you probably intend to use it, and it doesn't involve anything great." Kara retorted as Lillian ran her hand along the laser device. 

Lillian looked over at Kara, an evil smile playing across her lips. 

"You should know, it's your precious Lena who was responsible for the conception of this...marvel of a device you see before you."

Kara was silent, not giving Lillian the benefit of getting a rise out of her. It was clear she was going to do her best to try to paint Lena in a negative light. But Kara wouldn't fall for it. She knew Lena. She knew how hard the CEO continuously worked to free herself from the stigma the Luthor name carried. There was no way she would have been involved with building anything for Lillian that could be used as a weapon. 

Lillian watched Kara as she mulled over the thoughts about Lena in her head. She could tell the Super was wrestling with the notion that Lena could somehow be involved with helping CADMUS achieve its goals. It was time to test just how strong her bond with Lena really was. 

"I can see the wheels turning up there in that Super head of yours. You're thinking...of course Lena would never take part in such a nefarious scheme to build something that could destroy life as we know it."

"You mean alien life." Kara answered back quickly, anger in her voice. 

"Minor detail." Lillian responded matter-of-factly. "But whether you want to believe it or not...Lena's genius brain is all over this design. In fact...it is her design. Lex merely came up with the basic schematics, the early sketches. Lena is the one who spent day and night in her lab for well over a year bringing the design to life...to a workable prototype."

Lillian observed Kara, looking for a crack in the Super's demeanor. Kara's face remained unreadable...neutral. So Lillian continued. 

"They were going to revolutionize the tech world...Lex and Lena." Lillian stepped over to the laser and placeed her hand lovingly atop it. "It would have been the grandest feat a Luthor ever achieved."

"Until Lena realized Lex was psychotic and was going to use the laser for something other than it's intended purpose?" Kara shot back.

Lillian flinched ever so slightly, taking her hand away from the laser. 

"Lena knew what it's true purpose was. She too wanted to better this world. And when Lex wanted to tweak her finalized plans, she wouldn't hear of it. The potential success of the laser and the money it could make and the fame that could come with it. Lena was too obsessed with that to listen to Lex's improvements. The two...has a bit of a disagreement. And my dear daughter decided she was going to run...take the plans and disappear." Lillian took a few imposing strides towards Kara, stopping right beside her. "She's good at running...disappearing. She did it to her family...her blood. And she'll do the same to you, Kara Danvers. I'll make sure of that."

"Lena doesn't run. That's not who she is. And she definitely isn't in it...running LCorp, for the fame and fortune. But you wouldn't know that about your daughter, would you? Between being locked up and always on the run, it seems to me...you're the Luthor that runs, Lillian."

Lillian stepped around to face Kara, her brows furrowed with determination as she leaned down so she was eye to eye with Kara. 

"Oh, but she did run. She was on the run for over two years...completely vanished. We searched far and wide with no success. And trust me...a Luthor's resources are vast. She abandoned her duties at LuthorCorp, she abandoned her most important project, and she abandoned her family when they needed her the most. You know what that's like, don't you, Kara...to be abandoned? 

Lillian's intense eyes bore through Kara's for a moment before the Luthor stood straight and walked over to her lab table. Kara tried to regain her composure, not showing Lillian that she was slightly shaken by her latest Lena revelation. Two years? Had Lena really disappeared for that long? No...there had to be a purpose, Kara thought to herself. It was probably around the same time the Lex was going mad over trying to destroy Superman. She wasn't going to let Lillian's tactics get to her. She had to remain strong and focused. Lillian wanted her to doubt Lena. But why? What was trying to accomplish by attempting to put a rift between the two of them? 

Kara didn't have time to mull over that question, as Lillian interrupted her thoughts once again. 

"Enough of the small talk now. It's time to get started. But first..."

Lillian walked over to Kara and pulled out the dagger from the sheath hanging from her belt. She held it up, the sharpness of the blade gleaming under the bright lights. With a satisfied smile, she brought the blade down and slid it across the top of Kara's right hand. Nothing happened. Lillian's grin grew wider as she slid the dagger back into its sheath and walked back over to the table and typed something on her laptop. 

"That should mean your heat vision and freeze breath should be working well enough by now."

Kara sat up straight in her chair, prepared to use both powers on Lillian if they were indeed working. But before she could even think about testing out if her powers were back, Cyborg Superman stepped in front of her, his signature smug smile on his half man, half robotic face. 

"I wouldn't try anything, Ms. Danvers." He said, blocking any view of Lillian from her. 

She heard LIllian preparing something over at her lab table. Then she heard the sound of a cart rolling towards her. It sounded like LIllian was preparing something, what Kara couldn't be sure of. She didn't have long to wonder though, as Lillian walked behind her. She heard several buttons being pressed, followed by a few beeps. Then suddenly her forehead and neck were being held down by the same type of restraints as her wrists. Lillian pressed another button, this time moving the chair so that Kara was facing Cyborg Superman at a slightly downward angle. 

Lillian walked back around and gave Cyborg Superman a slight nod. He stepped aside, and Lillian stepped over to the cart she'd pushed near Kara, wheeling it closer. 

"There's something I forgot to mention about Lena's laser. For some reason I guess she was fearful it could one day fall into the wrong hands. Crazy, I know. She always was a bit too...paranoid. I have no idea where she gets that from." Lillian was tinkering with whatever was on the cart, her back to Kara. "So she came up with a highly unique way to power the laser. It requires two steps...one of which I need you for."

Lillian turned to Kara.

"You see, my genius of a daughter thought it would be...funny...to use a super rare earth element as the laser's primary energy source. It's an element so rare that it's virtually impossible to find even on the black market. Leave it to Lena to be such a drama science queen. Lex and I spent a lot of time, money, and effort trying to track down enough of the stuff to power the damn laser. I'm pretty sure that was something Lena was counting on. But thankfully Lex is just as smart as his sister. And with the two of us working together, we finally came up with a formula for making a synthetic version of the element. Unfortunately, it has to be superheated and then instantly cooled before it will give us the proper results."

"I'm not giving you my powers. So it looks like you'll have to rely on that second option, Lillian."

Lillian wasn't phased. She crossed her arms over her chest and simply smiled. 

"It seems you misheard me, Supergirl. I didn't say these were options. I said they were steps. And of course I didn't expect you to give me your powers willingly. What did I tell you...a Luthor is always prepared. And not only do I have just the thing to help convince you to use your powers, but that thing also happens to be a part of the crucial second step required to activate the laser. And that second step should be here in five...four...three...two...one...

A door in the far corner of the warehouse opened. In walked ten CADMUS guards, dressed in all black and heavily armed. Then walked over towards Lillian, forming a protective circle around her and Kara. Lillian grabbed a remote from her nearby cart and pressed a button, making the yellow UV lights turn off and red lights turn on. A few moments later, two sets of footsteps were heard. The men in the circle parted slightly so that the whomever was coming could enter. Kara looked over just in time to see Lena being escorted by another heavily armed CADMUS guard. 

Lena's eyes immediately found Kara's, green meeting blue...concerned meeting surprised. But before Lena had a chance to even think about getting to Kara, the guard grabbed her arm and forced her to walk over in front of Lillian. 

"My darling daughter...as punctual as always."

"I'm here. Now you let her go." 

"Not quite. You wouldn't want your girlfriend to miss out on the celebration, now would you, Lena?

"What celebration, mother? The deal was I come, you let Supergirl go."

"Well yes, those were the initial terms. But surely you two wouldn't want to miss out on celebrating this accomplishment together, after all, the glory will be mostly yours."

"What the hell...are you talking about, Lillian? No, you know what...just let Supergirl go and I'll...celebrate with you...alone."

"But celebrations are so much more fun when done with the people you love, isn't that right, Kara?" 

Lena closed her eyes and drew in a quick breath. Lillian knew? She knew who Supergirl was. When Lena opened her eyes, she was met with Lillian's intense gaze. Then Lillian raised her hand and with a quick flick of her wrist, all of the guards aimed their guns at Lena. The CEO's kept her eye fixed on her mother, her demeanor strong and stoic, showing no signs of being intimidated. She knew her mother's games. And she knew how to counter them. She was prepared for Lillian. But what she wasn't prepared for was what she saw when Lillian motioned for the guards next to her to step aside, revealing an all too familiar reminder of her past work at LuthorCorp. 

"Look familiar?" Lillian asked as she walked over to the laser. 

Lena remained calm.

"How? I destroyed every physical and digital blueprint that existed."

"I'm afraid I don't have time to go into details with you, dear daughter. Let's just say that Lex was always one step ahead of you in all things...especially in intelligence."

Lena swallowed down her anger. This wasn't the time nor place to argue about their family issues. Mother and daughter locked eyes once again. And Lena knew what she had to do. She kept her eyes on her mother as she called out. 

"Kara?"

"Lena?" Kara responded. 

"Kara, are you okay? Has she hurt you?"

"I'm okay. She needs me to power up your laser."

Lena flinched slightly at Kara knowing that the laser was indeed conceived by her, making Lillian's lips form into a small smirk. 

"It's not my laser, Kara. I never intended-"

"I know, Lena." Kara replied quickly.

Lena quickly swallowed the wave of emotional relief that went through her body at Kara believing her. But her eyes stayed locked on Lillian. 

"Listen to me, Kara. Whatever happens next, you do not give her what she wants."

"Lena, no. I can't help you if...my powers-"

"Kara, you do not give her what she wants. Do you hear me?"

"I hear you."

"Good." Was Lena's only response.

With her eyes still on her mother, before any of the guards could even think to pull their triggers on the guns aimed at her, Lena bunched her hands into fists, pressing into her palms with her fingers. Her fingers triggered microsensors Winn had carefully placed and camouflaged into her skin, which in turned triggered the smoke screen dispersing mechanisms in Lena's combat boots. 

The smoke rose quickly and thickly, just like Winn had said it would. There was a moment of eerie silence before the shuffle of feet was heard, followed by the sound of guns being fired from all directions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way...the Supercorp lunch date...the way Kara looked at Lena and sighed when she was walking away... <\----that's gay dude. But whatever...
> 
> In the next chapter, you'll get some badass Lena. Because after what we had to endure Lena go through this week...she deserves a little redemption!


	33. Flirting with Bullets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello there, lovely Supercorp readers. Well...wasn't that quite an episode this week? I'll talk more about it in the chapter notes but really all that needs to be said is that...
> 
> Kara loves Lena. Lena loves Kara. (Because let's face it, that's totally what she meant with her "likewise" response) and the Supercorp feels are real. Now if only the CW queerbaiting would stop. I have a solution for that...it's called the Phantom Zone or lead...whichever would work best for the writers to get rid of Mon-El...but I digress...
> 
> In this chapter...
> 
> Lena and Kara have a (flirty?) conversation while it's raining bullets and will Lena finally find out where Kara keeps her cape before they are attacked again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay...episode 2x21- 
> 
> Well, this is a first in a long time. I really don't have too much to rant about..except for maybe various plot holes or things that just irritated me. But let's start with the good... CAT GRANT IS BACK! Woman...where were you with your feminist verbal ass-kickings back when we were being assaulted (and still continue to be) with the misogynistic bullshit that is Mon-El and his takeover of Kara's character and well...story? Damn I really missed her snarky self and all of her no-nonsense pep talks. 
> 
> You know what else I missed? ...All of the amazing, strong women together in one episode like they were this week. It was reminiscent of Season 1 and I loved it. Seriously...how badass what that scene with Alex running though the DEO and then jumping off the side of the building while shooting a Daxamite mid-air? This is what made me fall in love with the show. How'd we get so far away from that in this season?
> 
> While I loved the return of Cat and all of the badass women kicking ass and taking names, I can't really ignore the fact that at this point it was too little too late. Sure, Cat saved the episode, but too much damage has been done to save the season. What I mean is, you can't cover up the blatant misogynistic mistake of a manchild character with one episode of returned "girl power." I mean if they can carry this into Season 3 (and that means also getting rid of Mon-El), then let's talk, SG writers. Maybe I'll have some room in my heart to forgive you for all of the shit you've put me through this season. 
> 
> I'm not even in the mood to rant about Mon-El in this episode. Because at this point it's become redundant and boring to keep stating the obvious...that he's a useless idiot that serves no purpose. And I'm still looking for proof that he's a "changed" man and a "hero." But whatever...
> 
> The forced marriage thing was gross and an insult to Lena. Ugh... So let's not even dwell on that (unless you want to rant about it, then by all means, go ahead and I'll rant away with you) Can we just talk about how irritated even Lena looked at having to deal with Mon-El and his useless self? The looks on her face in all her scenes with him were everything. I'd like to think it was Katie McGrath saying with her expressions...who the hell came up with this arranged marriage bullshit and why would they even think Kara would want to be with this idiot? But that could just be me. ;) Lena was amazing as usual. I love her more and more with each passing episode. 
> 
> I loved how Supergirl and the DEO had to team up with Lillian. That was great. And I'm thinking CADMUS and Lillian are most likely going to carry over into Season 3, which I'm all for. I like Lillian as a villain. I wish they would have made her more of a player this season instead of giving us Rhea at the last minute. Rhea is so one-dimensional at this point. She feels like a caricature, over the top villain who is evil just because she's a power hungry bitch. There's no depth there. Hopefully Kara takes her out in the finale. 
> 
> ...speaking of taking Rhea out, they also need to "take out" any sort of idea of trying to write in a Mon-El/Lena spawn grown from their locks of hair. That literally made my gag reflexes kick in. Not to mention, I'm pretty sure Rhea also took a lock of Kara's hair in the ship at the end before Superman attacked. 
> 
> On a side note...since when does Maggie know James is the Guardian? Last I knew, when Alex came out to the gang at the bar, James was asking Alex if Maggie knew...and Alex said she didn't. Speaking of Maggie...I definitely would have loved to have seen more of her in action with everyone. She's so underused, which is why it's been so hard for me to get more emotionally involved with Sanvers. Do you think we can at least get a proper...long and heartfelt Sanvers kiss in the finale? One can hope...
> 
> One can also hope that now that the Phantom Zone transporter has been brought into play...a certain Daxamite will be sent away? If not, I'm about to steal the Guardian's lead spray and take care of the issue myself. ;)

...The smoke rose quickly and thickly, just like Winn had said it would. There was a moment of eerie silence before the shuffle of feet was heard, followed by the sound of guns being fired from all directions... 

*************************************************************************************************************

Before Lena was set to head to the warehouse for the CADMUS meet-up, Alex had stopped her before she got into the car. 

"Remember what I told you. The moment you lay eyes on Kara, you gotta play it cool. Get as close at they will let you get to her. Wherever they stop you, immediately make the calculations in your head as to how many steps it's going to take to get to her. Because as soon as that smoke disperses, you'll have seconds...literally to get to her and make sure she's safe from the confused gunfire that will most likely be exploding around you. There's a very good chance...she won't have her powers." Alex fought back the tears just thinking about her sister being defenseless in a hail of bullets. "So you've gotta be there...if-"

Lena stepped closer to Alex, a determined look on her face. 

"I haven't forgotten. I'll make the proper calculations. I am a genius after all." 

Alex looked up to see Lena's playful smirk and instantly felt a bit of relief...as much as she could for what was about to happen. 

"Of course you are. And so very modest too." 

Lena's smirk grew wider, making Alex smile in return. They were both silent for a moment before both of their faces returned to a more serious look. 

"I'll get to her in time, Alex."

Alex nodded slightly in agreement. 

"I know you will." 

The two women stood there, regarding each other, both lost in their own thoughts of Kara and getting her back safely. Lena was the first to snap out of those thoughts, realizing it was time to go. She moved to step away from Alex and get into the car when Alex gently grabbed onto her hand and then pulled her into a hug. 

"I know I've already said this, but thanks. And...I've got your back. We all do."

Maggie approached as the two women hugged. 

"She's right, Lil' Luthor. We've all got your back."

Lena broke away from Alex's embrace and gave both Maggie and Alex a knowing smile. 

"I'll see you two later." Lena stated. 

Maggie and Alex both nodded as Lena got into the car. As the car pulled away, she knew every one who loved Kara now had her back too. And that was definitely a foreign yet comforting feeling to her. But she'd have to sort through those strange feelings of actually having others care about her later. Now she had to focus. She didn't know what her mother had in store for her. But she did know one thing...Alex was right, no matter what the situation, it was going to take careful calculations on her part. So it was a good thing that she considered herself a master at calculating...

***********************************************************************************************

 

...The smoke rose quickly and thickly, just like Winn had said it would. There was a moment of eerie silence before the shuffle of feet was heard, followed by the sound of guns being fired from all directions... 

Lena made a run for it. 

The moment she'd been escorted inside the warehouse by her mother's guards, she surveyed her surroundings. By the time she was brought inside the circle of guards surrounding Lillian and Kara, she had already memorized the layout, how many men there were, and how many rounds of ammunition she was up against based on the type of guns they men were carrying. Then her eyes met Kara's. And it took every ounce of strength in her not to immediately run to her. But she couldn't...not yet. First she had to calculate...just like Alex had told her. 

Lena made a run for it. 

Amidst the thick haze of smoke, she knew exactly how many steps she needed to take blindly to get to Kara...how many steps she needed to take before the gunfire would begin. She knew the sounds of her footsteps would trigger the gunshots...not right away...but probably seconds into those calculated steps when the confusion wore off and the armed men around her would open fire. She knew this because she knew her mother. And her mother was the type to train her men to fire first and ask questions later. 

She felt like she was running in slow motion. Her feet felt like they were weighted down. She couldn't see a damn thing. And it made her extremely grateful for having gone through the frustrations of having to train blindfolded with Gang Hua. She remembered giving the Chinese woman grief because...what are the odds of having to go into a battle blind? She'd have to remember to thank her mentor later. By her calculations, there was one more step...

She reached Kara in the knick of time, almost running right into the side of the chair. In one solid "swoop" she whipped out Kara's cape, straddled Kara atop the chair, and covered the both of them with the cape right before the first shot went off. Holding the cape in place over them with one hand, Lena made quick work of releasing Kara from her arm and leg restraints. She then leaned in closer to her, reached around the back of the chair, and pressed the buttons needed to release the head and neck restraints. 

Lena instantly felt Kara's arms wrap around her the moment she was freed. Kara pulled her in close and then reached up with one arm to help Lena hold the cape in place. Between the darkness from being under the cape and the dense smoke still surrounding them outside of it, they couldn't see one another. But Kara let out a contented sigh as her her chin found Lena's head and rested atop it. 

"You're here." Kara said, her voice sounding like a whisper among the hail of gunfire going on around them. 

"I am." Lena replied.

They heard the many pings and clinks above them...the sounds of bullets ricocheting off of the cape. 

"Is this...are we under my cape?" Kara asked, sounding surprised. 

"Just now figuring that out, Supergirl?" Lena smirked even though she knew Kara couldn't see her. 

"No...pfffffft...of course not. It's just...well I was wondering...where in the world did it come from? Where did you put it?"

Lena let out a small chuckle. 

"Seriously? You're laughing while we're currently being rained on by bullets?"

"Must be my Luthor dark sense of humor. And I suppose I could ask you the same question. I mean you know there's even been polls on various media outlets about it." 

"About what?" Kara responded as another bullet bounced off the cape. 

"About where you keep your cape."

"Are we really discussing this right now? Shouldn't we be figuring out what to do once the shooting stops and we have Rao knows what out there to fend off and I'm not even at fifty percent with my powers and-"

"Forty-five seconds." Lena stated, interrupting the rambling Kryptonian. 

"What?"

"According to my calculations from the amount of men, they types of guns they are carrying, and how much longer it is until the smoke clears, we have about forty-five...well, probably now forty seconds until it's clear...of gunfire at least." 

"I'm sorry...your...calculations?"

"Yes, and don't worry about what happens next. I've got you covered. So let's get back to the more important question at hand..." Lena scooted closer up Kara's body and leaned in so that her lips were at Kara's ear. "Where...do...you put this cape of yours?"

"Leeeeeeena." Kara let out through an exasperated sigh. 

"We're down to thirty seconds, Kara. Come on...I need to know...for scientific purposes."

This time Kara let out a chuckle. 

"Scientific purposes...really. And which scientific way did you vote in those various social media polls, Ms. Luthor?"

"Oh I clicked other. And when it asked to explain I said...perhaps where she puts her cape is for Supergirl to know and for her girlfriend to find out."

"That's just...I don't. Oh Rao, is it getting hot under here or is it just me?"

"It's your blushing cheeks, I'm sure."

"I'm not blushing. Y-you can't even see my cheeks...pfffffft!" 

"While that's currently true, I will get a chance to prove myself correct, that you are indeed blushing, in five...four...three...two...one."

On one, they heard a few clicks...the sounds of triggers being pulled with empty magazines. The next sounds they heard were of guns dropping to the floor and feet scurrying away. 

Lena carefully slid the cape down over their heads, keeping it covered around their shoulders. She smiled as she reached up to touch Kara's still slightly blushed cheek. 

"Hey." Lena said, giving Kara's cheek a loving caress. 

"Hi." Kara replied, not moving her hands from Lena's hips. 

"For the record...you are blushing."

Kara smiled and shook her head incredulously. 

Lena took her time sliding off of Kara and the chair. When her feet were firmly planted, the slung the cape over her shoulder and held out her hand to help Kara stand. Kara took her hand and graciously accepted the help since her body was still feeling a little bit off. Once Lena helped her get to her feet, her legs nearly gave out, prompting her to almost collapse. But Lena was right there to catch and steady her. 

Once Kara was able to gather herself and regain her equilibrium, Lena quickly wrapped the cape around her shoulders and attached it to the superhero. Then she grabbed onto Kara's arms and looked up into her tired blue eyes. 

"Kara, you need to go outside now. Alex and Maggie are out there waiting for you. Once I disable that cyborg Hank Henshaw...thing and deal with my mother, I'll give them the signal over the comms and their teams will come secure the rest of the warehouse."

"I'm sorry, what now? Because I think you just said you were going to take on Cyborg Superman?"

"You heard correctly. Now Kara please, we don't have time to argue about this, okay? Go get to your sister so I can finish this and we can get out of here and you can take me out on that date you promised me...which by the way, is about a week late. And you know...I'm not the kind of woman who likes to be stood up, Ms. Danvers."

Lena gave Kara's arms a slight squeeze, trying to lighten the mood. But Kara's face remained grim, that infamous eyebrow crinkle now deep with concern. Lena took her arms away and crossed them over her chest, pretending to be hurt. 

"You forgot about our first date, I see. Well-"

"What? No! I didn't...I could never...I-"

Kara looked up at Lena to see her now smiling. Kara let out a frustrated sigh. Lena stepped back in closer to her, keeping her arms crossed. 

"I can't believe you're trying to crack jokes right now."

"And I can't believe you still won't divulge where you keep that cape of yours hidden when you're in cute but adorably sexy Kara Danvers mode. But I'm definitely going to have fun trying to find out."

A blush rose on Kara's cheeks again, prompting Lena to step in closer.

"Y-you...ugh...I just...how do you always manage-"

Before Kara could get out any further frustrated ramblings, Lena pulled her in for a hug. Kara immediately sank into her, making Lena hold on even tighter. 

"I can't believe you're here." Kara whispered at Lena's ear. 

Then Kara pulled her head back from the hug. 

"Wait, why isn't Alex here? Why did she send you instead? You...you could have been killed. You're not trained for this. She...she shouldn't have...where is she? Is she on comms with you right now? I want to talk to her."

Kara reached up towards Lena's ear, but Lena grabbed her hand, stopping her. 

"Kara, listen to me. This wasn't Alex's plan. It was mine. And you need to go...like right now. Without your powers you're going to be an easy target."

"Wait, let me get this straight...you...it was your idea to-"

Alex suddenly came over the comms in Lena's ear. 

"Lena? Where's Kara? We don't have eyes on her yet and you're about to have more company. Winn just picked up several bodies inside on the infrared scanner and they're heading your way."

"Alex, Kara's here with me. She's safe, but-"

"Alex! What is going on?" Kara interrupted. "Why did you bring Lena into the middle of all this?"

"Lena, there's no more time. I'm coming in. You're going to need backup."

"Alex?" 

"Kara, there's no time. More of my mother's men are heading our way. I need you to go...run!"

"I am Supergirl. I don't run from anything. Lena, you're the one that needs to run. I'll protect you. I can still fight without my powers. But please just-"

"And I'm a Luthor. I don't run either."

Both women looked at each other, stubborn determination and intensity in their eyes. Alex suddenly came rushing in the side door, but neither Kara nor Lena looked away from each other. 

"Lena? What is going on?."

"There are some things you don't know about me, Kara. Things we haven't had the time to talk about. But hopefully we will soon. There's so much we have to tell each other. But right now I'm just going to need you to trust in me."

As Lena finished speaking, the door in the opposite corner of the room opened and in barged more of Lillian's guards carrying guns. Lena, Kara, and Alex backed into each other as the guards surrounded them. 

"Lena, I don't understand. What is it you need to tell me?" Kara asked.

"Oh she's about to show you, not tell you." Alex responded as the armed men inched closer towards them. "You ready, Luthor?"

"Absolutely." Lena responded.

Kara's eyes widened in shock when Lena threw the first punch at the nearest guard in front of her...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Kara...can't wait to see what you think of your kung fu girlfriend kicking ass... ;)
> 
>  
> 
> **JUST A QUICK UPDATE* ...the "synopsis" for Season 3 came out. And it's about as generic and vague as f*ck. Unfortunately, Chris Wood is mentioned. <\----Hopefully that's a typo? ;) Also Floriana is not. Although I can't imagine why she wouldn't be in the next season with Sanvers being as popular as it is. So I'm not sure what to make of it. Probably just best to take it with a grain of salt. I'll wait for the finale to see if they do the right thing by getting rid of Mon-El before I decide to throw that salt or not. ;)


	34. To Love and Trust a Luthor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Okay so I lied...the big badass Lena fight scene isn't in this chapter. But it will totally be in the next one, I promise! I just wanted to explore a little Lena/Lillian dynamic first. So hopefully you'll enjoy this one. 
> 
> Now about that rather anti-climactic season finale...first let it be known that I've changed the title from "Nevertheless, She Persisted" to "Lena Luthor Saves the World (Again) and Nobody Thanks Her." 
> 
> As you know, my inspiration for this fic came from episode 2x8 "Medusa" where the same damn thing happened...Lena saved everyone and never got acknowledged for it. So I guess we've come full circle. *insert sarcastic eye roll*
> 
> Okay so I'll continue my season finale rant in the chapter notes below for those who'd just like to skip to the story. In this chapter, like I said, Lena and Lillian come face to face and there's a small bit of Lena being a badass, but the major badassery will happen next chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't even know where to begin with this rant. But since once again it had to be about Mon-El, I guess I'll start there. 
> 
> I was really hoping this would be the last time I'd have to rant about him. But let's be honest, they didn't kill the motherf*cker, they just sent him off into space. And we all know that means they are going to try to bring him back and force more "see..he's a hero" crap on us. But see that's the thing...HE STILL HADN'T CHANGED. He had the nerve to say "What about Superman" to Kara in regards to taking on Rhea. So he still doesn't respect Kara or believe in her and what she can do as Supergirl. He still wants to take the easiest way out. And let's bring up how Kara had to tell him to "go be a hero." Seriously? You know who didn't have to be told to be a hero...M'Gann and Lena. They are out there trying to save the world while he's still wanting to just be by Kara's side. You think going out to beat up a few Daxamites makes you a hero? Go talk to M'Gann and how she risked her life to go back to her oppressed planet to not only try to change it, but came back with White Martians who thought like her and helped fight the Daxamites. That's a hero, ladies and gentlemen. 
> 
> Then at the end we had to see Kara moping and sulking about talking about how she's never liked/loved someone like Mon-El before. (I'm sorry, what about James. Wow, way to disrespect that relationship that never got a chance). And they made it all out to be what we already knew happened anyway...Kara had been reduced to a love interest in her own show. Everyone is in a relationship now except for her? Really, once again I ask what about James...and also there's Lena. You remember your best friend, right? The one who saved the damn world once again and loves you and thinks you are her hero? Who cares about everyone being in a relationship. The show isn't about relationships. It's supposed to be about Supergirl and how she's grown as a character. But you see, she hasn't grown as a character. She had to babysit a manchild and be forced into a relationship with him through most of the season. But I'm so over wasting my salt on Mon-El. Let's just put it this way plain and simple...he left Daxam like a coward and he left Earth the same way. Moving on...
> 
> Why wasn't Alex the one to back up Kara at the duel with Rhea? Alex should have been there, supporting her sister. Why couldn't they give us at least one epic Danvers sister moment in the finale? They've robbed us of that all season anyway. They could have made up for it by having had Alex encourage and lift Kara up like only she can. Instead we had you know who...standing there like the useless idiot he is. Ugh. 
> 
> If Daxamites have Kryptonite in their blood, then why didn't Mon-El? Oh...because then we wouldn't have been able to have have had the forced "Karamel" relationship...right, I get it. Doesn't make sense, but whatever.
> 
> I liked Lillian and Lena working together. And Winn and Lena...can we have more of that brotp next season please? I'm looking forward to seeing how Lillian continues to antagonize Lena, Kara, and the DEO next season. 
> 
> I'm irritated that Lena didn't find out that Kara was Supergirl. So I guess we're going to have that to look forward to next season...meaning they'll most likely use it as a cheap way to put a rift in their friendship...how original. 
> 
> At least Cat got to reveal she knew. Speaking of Cat, she better be back for Season 3. 
> 
> Oh great, another season finale where a pod is coming to earth. Look how well that turned out last season. At least this one will most likely be a full on villain and we won't have to put up with a supposed "hero's arc" 
> 
> Did I miss anything? I'm sure you'll let me know if you agree or disagree with anything. Oh...yeah, the Sanvers proposal. I mean...I just really didn't feel anything about that. I guess congrats to them? I still wish they would have had more development onscreen. It's gotten to the point where the show has said...look there's a lesbian couple represented so now we don't have to do anything else with them. But I'm happy for those that really ship them. All in all, I found the finale to be quite disappointing. So let me hear it...what did you think? 
> 
> Oh yeah, and what did you think of the latest chapter too? :)

It wasn't the first punch Lena landed that shocked Kara the most. Of course, seeing her initiate and land that punch was definitely not expected, but that was just the start of what was going to be a long line of "shocks" for the Kryptonian. Because her girlfriend...wait, was Lena actually her girlfriend? They definitely hadn't had that talk yet...but Lena had alluded to it underneath her cape...right...so maybe Lena did already consider her... 

Kara's wandering thoughts were quickly dashed when she witnessed Lena take out the first guy she'd punched right in front of her. Not only had Kara not seen that coming, but Lillian's goon sure didn't anticipate it either. She watched as Lena (almost effortlessly and with the grace only the CEO could display) kicked the large gun the man was holding out and up from his hands. Then with a quick spin and hard, kick to the chest, the guy fell to the ground as Lena caught the gun mid-air. 

Kara's mouth dropped once again in shock. 

"A little help over here, Supergirl." Alex shouted from behind her. 

Lena gave Kara a quick, playful wink before turning around and clocking the next guy that tried to attack her under his chin with the gun she'd kicked away from the previous guy, sending the current guy back a few steps before he regrouped and came at her again. 

"Are you seeing this?" Kara exclaimed as she knelt down beside Alex as she was placing a plastic tie around one of the fallen goon's wrists. 

"No." Alex replied as she stood up. "I've been a little busy over here." 

Two of Lillian's men closed in on Alex and Kara. 

"But Lena...she...she's..."

Before Kara could finish her thought, she and Alex found themselves throwing and dodging punches from their attackers. They'd managed to disarm both men, but that didn't mean they didn't put up a good fight against the two women. After several more punches, however, the Danvers sisters had managed to knock both men out. After tying them up and securing the men's weapons, Kara and Alex turned to find Lena. 

The CEO had successfully taken out more men than Kara and Alex combined. The sisters ran over to the fallen men and secured them with plastic ties. When they stood to locate Lena again, what they saw was troubling...

Lena found herself being surrounded by four of Lillian's men, smug smiles on their faces as they closed in on her. Kara moved to go towards Lena, but Alex stopped her, grabbing onto her arm. 

"Alex, you have to let me help her."

"She's got this, Kara. And you need to save what's left of your strength." 

"What do you mean she's got this? If you think I'm going to just stand here and let my girlfriend be...be beat up. Then you-"

Alex raised her eyebrow curiously at Kara. 

"Girlfriend, huh? Dammit." Alex pressed into her ear, activating her comms. "Sawyer, did you hear that?"

Kara's eyebrow crinkle appeared as she leaned in to hear Maggie's response since her super hearing wasn't working.

"Heard it loud and clear, Danvers. You owe me dinner and a carton of my favorite vegan ice cream."

"Gross." Alex responded as she took her hand away from her ear. 

"What was that about?" Kara asked, crossing her arms over her chest while momentarily forgetting about Lena being closed in on by Lillian's men. 

"Nothing, just a little bet I had going with Maggie. She predicted you two would be at girlfriend status by the end of next week. I said three weeks." 

"You two are unbelievable. I can't with you two right now. And I'll have you know, we haven't really discussed the whole...girlfriend thing. Not officially. She just sort of implied it when...when we were under my cape and the bullets were flying and...well she probably didn't even mean it."

"Supergirl?" Lena's voice was calm and only slightly raised. 

Kara and Alex turned their heads to look over at Lena. The CEO was focused on the men and didn't look at Kara as she spoke. 

"Lena?" Kara responded, trying step closer to the CEO, but Alex still held onto her. 

"I did mean it. Your sister owes her girlfriend that vegan ice cream."

"Gross." Alex repeated in disgust. 

Kara took a moment to take in the scope of what Lena was saying. But before she could really let it sink in that yes...Lena did consider herself as Kara's girlfriend, Lena sprang into action. She immediately elbowed the guy behind her square in the nose, causing him to instantly drop his gun and bend over in pain, his nose gushing blood. Lena picked up the dropped gun and turned to face the remaining three men. She gave them a small, confident smile as she raised the gun up with both hands and then tossed it aside. 

"What is she doing? Kara asked, still fighting the urge to run over and help Lena. 

"Trust me, she knows what she's doing. I still have some leftover bruises to prove it." Alex stated, getting a questioning look from her sister. 

"I don't understand." 

"You will, Kara. I'd like to think we made it a little easier for her though, seeing as how she was supposed to not have any backup."

"You weren't going to come in here and help her?" Kara whispered angrily at Alex. 

"That wasn't a part of the plan. Like I said. She's got this. But now we're going to need to get you out of here because once she's done, she's going to need to be as undistracted as possible to deal with Lillian and Cyborg Superman. And you...are a distraction."

"What? There's no way in hell-"

"Supergirl?" Lena said calmly, her eyes still locked on the men in front of her still holding their guns. 

Kara let out a huff of frustration before responding.

"Yes?" 

"You need to go with Agent Danvers."

"Oh it's too late for that I'm afraid, daughter" 

The remaining men surrounding Lena stood down as Lillian walked in with Cyborg Superman and five more men. These men weren't armed, but they were tall, muscular, and looked pretty damn tough. She nodded towards the remaining armed men, and they immediately ran over to Kara and Alex. The sisters raised their arms in surrender as the men pointed their guns at their backs and made them walk over to where Cyborg Superman was standing. 

"Don't bother trying to call in your backup either, Agent Danvers. I have this entire compound rigged with Kryptonite detonators. One false move and Supergirl here is no more. I warned you...not to bring back-up."

Lillian walked over to Lena. Both women crossed their arms over their chests, daring the other to do or say something. Lillian gave her daugher a smug smile before breaking the silence between them. 

"I'm impressed."

"Don't be." Lena retorted. "You and Lex are the reason I had to learn how to defend myself. Or are you forgetting the first time Lex tried to have me killed and forced me into hiding?"

"Let's not rehash the past, darling. Although I would be interested to know where you were hiding for those two plus years. Your brother and I searched high and low for you."

"Oh I bet you did."

Lillian stepped in closer to Lena.

"We were very concerned about you."

"Oh I bet you were." Lena responded sarcastically. 

"But I can see by your...newfound fighting skills that you were most likely tucked away in some quiet little town outside of Beijing somewhere."

Lena kept her composure, not wanting to give anything away to her mother. Lillian continued. 

"We did thoroughly search the Beijing area. We even questioned that former bodyguard of yours...Gang Hua, was it? But it lead nowhere. It seems you may have been right under our noses all along."

"Beijing? Bodyguards? What is all this?" Kara whispered quietly to Alex, getting a nudge from her sister in the side to keep quiet. 

Lena looked over at Kara, trying to convey her hopes that she would understand that they were definitely going to have to talk about things when their current situation was resolved. Kara's eye softened into Lena's green-eyed gaze, letting her know that she understood. So much was conveyed through that glance that even Lillian picked up on it. She looked over at Kara and then back to Lena, her smirk growing wider. 

"You know, I never pegged you as someone who would be into...aliens, especially knowing what Superman did to Lex."

"Lex did everything to himself, mother. And I don't know what you're talking about." 

Lena noticed Kara stiffen out of the corner of her eye, but she kept her eyes trained on Lillian. She was hoping to call her mother's bluff because she sure as hell wasn't going to out her relationship with Kara to her. That would definitely give Lillian an even bigger advantage over her and Kara as Supergirl. But of course she should have known better...Lillian wasn't one to bluff. She stepped over to the side of Lena so she could see both her daughter and Kara at the same time. 

"You would deny then...that you and Kara Danvers are...having relations?"

Lena let out an amused chuckle.

"Having relations? What is this, mother, the dark ages?"

"Dark, yes. You betraying your family, your blood...by courting a Super..."

"I'm not...courting a Super, mother."

"Right, you're dating a Ms. Kara Danvers, reporter at CatCo Worldwide Media."

"I didn't know you cared about my dating life, mother. What...did doing a bit of time in jail soften you up?"

Lillian's lips pursed into a frown. 

"I frankly could care less about the...women...you date, Lena. But when you're dating a Super, that's when I have the right to be concerned."

"You don't have any rights where my life is concerned, mother. You gave that up when you decided to back Lex and then start up CADMUS. Who I associate with or date is none of your business. Leave Kara out of this."

A grin reappeared on Lillian's face. She gave Lena once last smug glance before making her way over to Kara. 

"If only leaving Kara out of this were so simple. But it's never simple being involved with a Super, is it, Ms. Danvers."

Lillian stood beside Kara, waiting for Lena to finally realize that she knew the truth. It only took a short moment...a quick glance into Kara's regretful eyes for her to confirm it. Lillian knew who Supergirl was. And that meant...Lillian held all the cards in the game she was playing with them. But thankfully, Lena knew how to play her mother's games too. 

"It's a good thing she knows that it's never simple being involved with a Luthor either...mother. After all, we're always up to something, aren't we?"

Lillian leaned her head so that she was at Kara's ear. 

"She's right about that. We're always up to something." Lillian stood straight again and looked Lena in the eyes intensely. "Shall we get down to business then?"

"I won't help you. Not unless you let Supergirl and Agent Danvers go. That was the deal, wasn't it...I come, you let her go? A Luthor always keeps her word, isn't that what you've always told me, mother?"

Lillian took slow, purposeful steps towards Lena, stopping in front of her daughter once again. 

"I'm sure I've told you a lot of things. One being don't get tangled up with a Super. But we're not here to harp on how you've so vehemently gone against everything I've ever taught you. We're here because whether or not you believe it, Lena...I need you. 

Lena let out an amused laugh. 

"Don't insult me, mother. They only reason you need me is to make that laser work. So let's cut to the chase, shall we? You let Supergirl and Agent Danvers go and then I'll help you with whatever you need."

"Lena!" Kara gasped. 

Lena looked over at Kara, giving her a look as reassuring as she could muster. 

"It's okay, Kara. Trust me." 

With the way had put an emphasis on "trust," Kara knew Lena must have something planned. And it wasn't like she and Alex could do anything from where they were. So she was going to do just that...trust...in Lena. She gave her girlfriend a slight nod of understanding, prompting Lena to give her a small look of appreciation with her eyes before returning her gaze to her mother. 

"You let Supergirl and Agent Danvers go. That's the deal."

"Well, as much as I'd like to strike that deal with you, I'm afraid that's not an option. Agent Danvers is free to go. That's a good as I can do. You see...I still need your...girlfriend here to power up the laser. It would have already been finished and over with had you not have..." Lillian looked around at the fallen men dotted around the warehouse. "...been so dramatic with your entrance." 

"You had your opportunity then. And that opportunity is now up. I will stay and help you come up with an alternative way to power it. It's my design after all. But not until Supergirl and Agent Danvers walk out of here."

"I'm afraid we don't have time for your alternative methods, dear. This is an urgent matter that involves your brother. Surely you wouldn't want to be the reason for something...dire happening to Lex, would you?"

"Playing the dear brother card won't work anymore, mother. Either you release them and take me or there's no deal at all."

"Oh my darling daughter...you don't really have a choice in the matter. The question at hand now is...do you want to go about this the hard way, or the easy way?"

Lillian nodded to her five, brawny goons, prompting them to march their way over to Lena, surrounding her in a circle. One of the men brought up his fists and proceeded to pop all of his knuckles with loud, ghastly sounding cracks. Another moved his neck from side to side, loosening up his muscles. The other three simply glared at Lena, lips snarled as though they were ready to pounce her at any moment. 

"Trust me when I say...these men in front of you are trained fighters, unlike the my men you defeated earlier. And though I have instructed them not to kill you, the damage they can inflict may make you wish you had died. Either way, you'll be helping me, Lena. So as I asked before...do you want to go about this the hard way, or the easy way?"

Kara tried to get away and get to Lena, but Cyborg Superman had a strong hold on her arm. She got nowhere. She watched as Lena closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and drew her hands together as though she were praying. But Kara knew Lena wasn't a religious woman. She knew that Lena was preparing herself for what was coming. She was going to fight...she was going to take the hard way. Of course she was...because she was a Luthor afterall. And in that moment of revelation, Kara knew that she could do nothing for Lena except be her support and trust in her. 

"I trust in you, Lena. I trust in you, and...I love you." Kara said, just a bit above a whisper, hoping her voice would carry over to the woman surrounded by men even Kara would be intimidated by at first glance.

Lena's eyes remained shut, her hands still together at her chest. But she heard Kara's words, and a small smile played across her lips as she finished her short meditation. Her eyes opened and she looked the goon directly in front of her in the eyes as she spoke.

"I'm a Luthor, mother. I don't take the easy way out."

And with that said, she readied herself, mind, body, and spirit for the fight that was about to commence. She had Kara's trust in her. She had Kara's love. Now it was time to use that trust and love. Now it was time...to fight for it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since nobody on the show will do it...
> 
> I hereby thank Lena Luthor for not only saving the world twice, but for also being the saving grace of the debacle that was Season 2 of Supergirl. Thank you, Lena. May you not turn into the "James" of Season 3 and disappear from our screens. ;)


	35. Fight Like a (Lena) Luthor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hello, beautiful readers of my story. It's been a very long while. And in all honestly, aside from having writing work to do, I'm just not into Supergirl any longer. The whole SDCC debacle was bad, yes, but really what turned me off the most from continuing to watch the show was that the cast, especially Melissa, didn't bother to address what happened nor try to make it right. So I really just lost respect for her as an actress. That being said, I continued to get such amazing feedback from you all about how you felt about the SDCC ordeal along with such humbling love for my writing and story. So I knew I had to at least finish this up for you all. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I mentioned, I'm not watching Season 3. I did watch the season premiere and was not on board whatsoever with having to watch Kara be a broody asshole over losing the sexist dude bro that she dated for all of what...a few months? 
> 
> So I'm not watching Season 3, but I have been keeping up with what's been happening, mostly through Tumblr. So I know that Kara continues to be broody over Man-Hell some seven months later only to then have to deal with them bringing him back (as a hero..excuse me while I gag over in the corner) and being married...and still pining over the loser. That's gross and so damn demeaning...ugh. Then of course, there's Sanvers. I know that they broke up and why. And don't even get me started on that reasoning. I also know that Alex got a whole what...three weeks to mourn breaking off her engagement only to hook up with the only other LGBTQ character in the Arrowverse in the crossover while Kara still gets to mourn her loss like what...going on 9 months now. Wow...what great representation. And then there's Lena. They made science and tech genius Lena give up LCorp so that she could buy Catco...a media company she knows nothing about? Sure, that makes total sense. About as much sense as making Lena and James a thing despite how many times James has talked shit about Lena. In conclusion...it's all just a heteronormative mess...is that about right? 
> 
> So even though I'm not watching, please still feel free to vent in the comments if you need to. I'll gladly chat with you about it, but I'm still not watching it. ;) 
> 
> Anyway, without further ado, here is the long awaited update. And in my story, Lena is still the Luthor who's "never stood behind a man," despite how they're trying to ruin her in Season 3. And in this chapter...Lena finally gets to kick ass! Enjoy!

Lena took in one last calming breath, holding it for a moment before slowly and steadily letting it out. This was going to be her make it or break it moment not only as a strong and capable women defending herself and those she cared most about, but as the opportunity to redefine what it meant to be a Luthor. She studied the movements of Lillian's approaching goons carefully, looking for any weaknesses any of the five men might have. To say men though, would be a bit of an understatement. These guys looked liked they had been either pumped full of steroids or more than likely enhanced in some way by her mother. But even Lillian wasn't able to perfect her CADMUS soldiers completely. This amused Lena as she zeroed in on several points on the goons that would help her out once she was to be embattled with them. A small smile played across her lips, and of course, Lillian took notice. 

 

"I wouldn't say this is a laughing matter, Lena. My men mean business. And they will hurt you. It's up to you to decide how badly you want that pain to be. Or you could just save us all the trouble and give me what I want. We could resolve this professionally...mother to daughter." 

Lena's response was a widening of her smile as she kept her eyes trained on the goons now about to surround her. 

"Alex, what is she doing? Why is she just standing there smiling? Please tell me she knows there's about to be an army of DEO agents and NCPD swat teams barging in at any second." Kara hastily whispered over to her sister.

"What happened to that whole I trust you, I love you, Lena speech you gave just a few moments ago?" Alex asked, keeping a close watch on the now surrounded Luthor. 

"That was hardly a speech. And I do love and trust in her. But at the time I was also thinking she was just using herself as a decoy to stall until you sent in the troops." Kara responded, frustration and urgency in her voice. 

"There are no troops, Kara."

Kara's eyes went wide with panic.

"We can't just stand around and let her get beat up by...who knows what those ugly looking guys have under their skin. This is Lillian we're talking about. It's not going to be a fair fight. Lena could get really hurt, or even..." 

Kara's voice cracked at the thought of losing Lena, especially when they still had so much to tell each other and do together. She struggled once again to get out of Cyborg Superman's tight grip to no avail. 

"Kara, calm down." Alex whispered roughly to the struggling girl of steel. 

Kara reluctantly stopped her current struggle and gave Cyborg Superman an irritated look of anger which then carried over to her sister, who had just had the nerve to tell her to calm down while the woman she loved was about to get potentially severely beat up at the hands of Lillian's men. 

"Before you go off on another tangent, Supergirl. You're right."

Kara's face twisted into sheer confusion.

"I'm right?"

Alex gave her sister a slight shrug before continuing. 

"You're right...it's not going to be a fair fight."

"Oh that's just great, Alex. Are you kidding me right now? Of course it's not going to be a fair fight. I told you-"

"I mean it's not going to be a fair fight...for those five ugly dudes that are currently surrounding your girlfriend."

"Alex, this isn't a joke. Please get on your comms and call in Maggie and her team. I know you-"

Before Kara could finish her sentence, both Danvers sisters heads instantly turned towards Lena as one of the goons came charging at her with a loud, over the top battle cry of some sort. The kind of sound one would hear on a cheesy Kung Fu movie when the villain idiotically decided to rush at the hero...or in this case the heroine. 

"Oh my Rao, I can't watch this." Kara gasped, closing her eyes, waiting for the sound of impact she knew was coming. 

But then Kara opened her eyes back up quickly, realizing, instead of being scared for Lena (as much as she truly was) she did want to believe in her. And in that split second when she opened her eyes back up, she was witness to the first astounding move Lena made on the charging goon. With one swift movement, Lena stepped to her left and did a a 360 degree leg swoop spin, catching the ankles of the charging goon and sending him airborne. The goon slid to a rough landing at Kara's feet. She may have been in a tight hold by Cyborg Superman, but her legs were still free. And with a swift kick to the head, goon number one was down for the count. 

"Alex?" Kara asked in a confused tone.

"Hmmm?" Alex responded, fully engrossed as she watched another one of Lilian's men get pummeled in the nose with the forceful brunt of Lena's combat boot.

"I know my powers aren't exactly...up to par at the moment. And...my senses might be just a little bit off. But I swear I just witnessed Lena pulling a Kung Fu Panda on the now unconscious guy at my feet."

Alex shot an annoyed glance over at her sister. 

"Please tell me you did not just compare your kick ass girlfriend to a cartoon panda?"

"I mean, she is very cute just like Po and you have to admit, who could have predicted that a panda could fight. And Lena, she's-"

Kara abruptly stopped mid-sentence when she turned back to the action just in time to see Lena leap into the air and take out two goons with a split kick while punching the guy in front of her square in the nose, making it instantly bleed. While the guy with the nosebleed doubled over in pain while trying to stop the geyser of blood spewing from his nose, the lone goon that hadn't suffered the wrath of Lena's feet or fists yet closed in on her while the other two she'd just kicked had recovered and were also moving in.

Lena was calm and collected as the three men closed in on her. She saw the goon with the bloody nose recovering from behind them. As he stood straight, he snorted out a last rush of blood before wiping his nose clean and sneering ahead with hatred burning in his eyes. And that hatred was aimed right at Lena. Then suddenly...all four goons charged towards her at once...

The first fist came flying towards her face, and with a quick head dodge to the left, Lena avoided the landing. As another fist came at her from the right, it was quickly caught with her right hand. And with a quick, sharp flick of her wrist, she twisted the goon's wrist, which then made a rather horrific popping sound as the bone broke. As the injured goon howled out in pain, Lena finished him off with a powerful kick to his chest, sending him backwards and to the ground with a thud. It was now two down...three more to go. 

Lena didn't miss a beat. She remembered her training with Gang Hua and tapped into that mantra she'd always had her repeat day after day...I am capable. 

And she didn't doubt that she was more than capable even as one of of the goons grabbed her from behind. He lifted her up around her neck with his forearms, wanting to put her in a choke-hold. But that actually worked to Lena's advantage as the second goon attempted to charge at her. With a quick swing of her dangling legs, her feet rammed into the charging goon, pushing him down. She used the forward momentum of the kick to throw the goon holding her from behind off guard. His grip loosened for a spit second, which was all she needed to place a sharp elbow blow to his gut with one arm and then an immediate second elbow blow to his nose with her other arm. It wasn't enough to make him double over in pain with a bloody nose, but it was definitely enough to make him let go of her. 

Before the goon could recover, Lena, having regained her sense of poise and balance, did a jumping spin kick and in mid-air, landing the side of her combat boot square on the goons' jaw. A few teeth flew out of his mouth as his face jerked to the side. Before he could even think of regrouping from that painful hit, a standing side kick to his chest from Lena quickly finished him off, knocking the wind out of his lungs and leaving him gasping for air and clutching at his chest as he fell to the ground. Now it was four down...one more to go. 

Kara and Alex had been watching everything in sheer shock and awe at the seemingly small and unassuming Luthor picking off Lilian's goons one by one. But it seemed like the youngest Danvers sister was in the most shock. Alex looked over at Kara to see that her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide. 

"Um, Kara?"

It took Kara a moment before she could take her eyes off of Lena, who was gearing up to take down the last guy. She hadn't realized she'd been so shocked...so amazed...so...turned on by Lena kicking ass. Wait, what?

"Hmmmm?" Kara quickly snapped out of her less than pure thoughts and closed her gaping mouth before turning her head over to meet Alex's amused eyes. 

"You've got." Alex motions to Kara's Kara's face while continuing. "A bit of drool there on the corner of your mouth, Supergirl." 

Kara quickly brought her shoulder up to her face and wiped away any evidence that she may have indeed been drooling at the sight of her Lena...that's right, her freaking Lena Luthor kicking the asses of Lillian's overgrown men with moves she didn't even know Lena had. Kara turned her head back towards Lena, watching as she and the remaining goon circled each other. 

"I think I changed my mind." Kara said, not taking her eyes off of Lena. 

"About what?" Alex replied, also waiting with anticipation for Lena's next move. 

"I'm thinking she's more of an Uma Thurman in Kill Bill...minus the swords." Kara answered, now a bit embarrassed she had earlier compared her badass girlfriend to a cartoon panda. 

"That seems to be a more appropriate comparison." Alex responded bluntly.

A small grin played across Lena's lips as she heard the short exchange between the Danvers sisters. But she didn't have time to respond as the bloodied nose goon finally made the first move. He went for a power kick to the head, but missed as Lena effortlessly ducked out of the way. She sprung back up and landed a punch to the goon's abdomen. Her fist was met with what felt like a brick wall, hurting her hand more than the goon. He smirked at her smugly before landing an uppercut to her jaw. It was enough to make her stumble back and trip slightly. But she quickly regained her balance as the goon came charging at her again. And this time, she was prepared as she saw him lunge up into the air in an attempt to finish her off with a flying kick. With a few quick steps of her own, just when it looked like they were about to collide, Lena suddenly went down into a leg slide on the floor as the goon flew right over her. She quickly jumped up, and watched at the goon flew smack into the cement wall. A bit shaken, but not yet defeated, the goon turned, only to be met by the forceful brunt of Lena's combat boot as she landed one last kick to his face. The goon lost consciousness as he slid down the wall. 

When Lena looked over at where Kara and Alex were being held, both Danvers sisters had their mouths agape in shock once again. Alex was the first to snap out of it when she realized Lena was looking over at them. She quickly reached over and pushed Kara's chin up, closing her mouth for her as Lena approached. Cyborg Superman tightened his grip on Kara, making Lena narrow her eyes at him. But her face softened as her eyes once again fell upon Kara. 

"For the record, Supergirl." Lena gave Kara a slightly seductive look before continuing. "I'm more of a Michelle Yeoh in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon kind of woman." 

Kara gulped nervously as Lena stepped in closer to her. She heard Alex stifle a chuckle and tried gathering her wits before responding. It didn't work.

"Right, because she...she's really hot when she's fighting like you, you know, cause you're really hot when you're fighting too. And pandas...well, pandas are cute and all, but I wouldn't call a panda hot because that's just silly. Pandas can't be hot, they're pandas. And you're-"

Lena shut the bumbling Kryptonian up by leaning in for a kiss. It was short and sweet, but at the same time sensual and sultry. Kara could taste the subtle saltiness on Lena's lips and probably would have gone weak in the knees at the sensation of the intensity of Lena's lips on hers if it wasn't for the tight grip Cyborg Superman still had around her. As Lena broke the kiss, they heard the slow, sarcastic clapping of hands as Lillian approached. 

"Congratulations, daughter. I'll admit, I'm impressed by that little...show you just put on. It's a little soon the be thinking you've won and got the girl though. I'm afraid there can only be one Luthor that comes out on top here."

With a quick snap of her fingers, Cyborg Superman let go of Kara, tossing her onto the ground. He grabbed Lena and brought her over to Lillian. The goon holding onto Alex let go, allowing her to go to Kara. Kara quickly stood, but before she could even think of seeing if she could muster up enough power for her heat vision, Lillian pulled a gun on Lena, digging it right into her temple. 

"You wouldn't. That's your daughter, Lillian." Kara said, her voice steely with conviction. 

Lillian responded by giving Kara a twisted smile before cocking the trigger. 

Kara's eyes fell upon Lena. The young Luthor looked incredibly calm for being in the death grip of Cyborg Superman while having a gun held to her head. Lena met Kara's gaze, the stoic look on her face never faltering. 

"Trust me." Lena mouthed silently to Kara. 

Kara didn't hesitate. Because she did trust Lena...with everything that she had. So she gave Lena an ever so slight nod and stepped back, waiting for Lena to make the next move...


	36. To Checkmate a Luthor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey ya'll...is anyone still reading this? Well if so, then you're awesome and here's an update for you... finally. ;) And is anyone still watching Season 3? If so why? I'm just curious since I heard it through the (Tumblr) grapevine that they are still queer-bating with Supercorp (another bridal style carry and rescue) while putting Kara into a gross love triangle with Mon-hell and his wife and forcing the equally grossness that is Lena and James. Sounds like it's become a soap opera melodrama instead of a superhero show. Let's face it, we knew as soon as it was announced that Katie was going to be a regular in Season three that they would completely mess up Lena's character. But not to worry, Lena will never be watered down or reduced to being a love interest for one of the most useless characters in the show here. Here she's always going to be our beloved bad-ass and super gay for her Super. ;) As always...thanks for reading and enjoy!

Lena kept her eyes locked on the intense gaze of Kara's as the superhero stepped back to stand beside Alex. She saw the fear in Kara's eyes, but there was also something else there...complete trust. After all they had been through leading up to this moment, seeing the love, the trust, and the intense conviction swirling together in those beautiful blue eyes she'd come to love and trust back, Lena felt an even stronger conviction of her own flow through her veins. National City needed the hope, strength, and courage that Supergirl gave them. And Lena? Well, she needed to make sure that National City's beacon of hope, strength, and courage made it out of this current situation alive, so Kara could continue to be the superhero everyone needed. And if that meant the sacrifice of a Luthor in the process...then so be it. 

Lena broke from Kara's gaze and met Alex's eyes. The DEO agent gave her a slight nod, serious conviction in her eyes as well. Lena gave her a slight nod back. Her eyes went upward, focusing on the red lights above them, knowing what the reaction in Kara's eyes would be with what she was about to say. And she couldn't afford to be distracted. She had to stick with the plan. After taking in a calming breath and letting it out in a short sigh, Lena addressed her mother, the cold metal of the gun barrel pressed into her temple keeping her focused on the need to make sure she gets Kara and Alex out of the warehouse alive. 

"Mother." 

Lena's voice came out strong and confident. It had to. Of the many things Gang Hua had taught her during their extensive training sessions, one thing she'd stressed to Lena time and time again was that no matter how afraid she may be on the inside, she must always remain stoic, sure, and strong on the outside. And that's what Lena had to do now. Lillian fed on weakness...especially any she should could find in Lena. She'd been doing it ever since Lena was brought to the Luthor manor to live. She preyed on it...anytime Lena showed her a weakness Lillian wouldn't hesitate to capitalize on it by demeaning and mocking her. But she wasn't that scared little girl any longer. She was Lena god-damned Luthor...the powerful, successful CEO of L-Corp. And like the phrase from Supergirl that had set everything into motion before, it was once again time to be her own hero. Lena's voice continued to be strong and sure...

"You will let Supergirl and Agent Danvers walk out of here." Lena's eyes stayed away from Kara's, instead focusing intently at the wall behind the superhero and her sister. 

Lillian let out an amused chuckle.

"I hardly think you are in the position to dictate any sort of conditions on their behalf. I hold all the cards here. So, you will do as I say. Do we understand each other, daughter?"

"Oh, but see, mother, you don't hold all of the cards here."

"Your attempt at mind games, although a cute attempt, is pointless, Lena. There are no cards left for you to hold, darling. I'm afraid it's just a truth you'll have to accept."

Lillian may have appeared to have not have been phased by her daughter's attempt to cast doubt on her plans, but Lena was also good at detecting weakness. She had learned it from the best, after all. The ever so slight slip in the barrel pressed against her head had given it away. And that's when Lena knew the opening was there. But she had to act fast and use it to her advantage. Not with actions, however, but with words. 

"Cards never were your game of choice, mother. So, let's put this in terms that you're more likely to get. It was you who taught me how to play chess, remember? And it was you who told me to never leave my queen vulnerable. Always keep her guarded...because she is what stands between victory and defeat." 

Lena paused, trying to gauge any reaction out of Lillian, but the elder Luthor's hand didn't budge. The gun remained steadily pressed against Lena's temple. 

"I am the queen, mother. And I have you at checkmate...right now at this very moment. So listen closely, because I won't say this again. You're going to let Supergirl and Agent Danvers go. You're going to let them walk out of this warehouse without incident. Then and only then will I give you what you need to power up your laser."

That did the trick. Lena felt the relief against her temple as Lillian brought the gun away from her head. And as she stepped in front of her daughter, Lena's eyes met her mother's. Both Luthors' stares were intense and serious. Lillian's hardened gaze didn't faze Lena though. She stood her ground, knowing her mother was trying to establish if she was trying to trick her. After what seemed like minutes passed, Lillian seemed satisfied enough to motion with her head to Cyborg Superman to let go of Lena. Though she felt relieved to finally be out of his painful grasp, Lena didn't show it. She remained her calm, collective self, her emerald eyes bright and fierce, ready to take on whatever Lillian might throw at her next. 

"With Supergirl's powers and your expertise on the schematics of the laser, I have everything I need to power it up. You seem a bit rusty with your chess game, dear."

"It's not about the game, mother. It's about the strategy. Do you really think I would have made it as simple as being able to use a synthetic power source to power it up...just like that? What you and your alleged genius son failed to figure out, is that I hid a fail-safe measure within the schematics...one that I knew Lex would never pick up on. To him, it was just another calculation that went into building it."

A satisfied grin played slightly across Lena's lips as she watched Lillian's jaw clench. 

"Lex would never have missed something like that. You're bluffing. And to what end? So that you can save yourself and an alien? You never cease to disappoint me, Lena."

"Bluffing is for playing cards, mother. There's no bluffing in chess. You of all people should know that. And if you go through with your attempt to activate the laser using synthetic methods, the fail-safe will kick in and destroy the entire thing."

Lena took a step in closer to Lillian, her faced poised in grim seriousness. 

"Checkmate, Lillian. Now...you let them go. And then I will tell you what you need to know to power it up properly…without…incident." 

Lillian didn’t falter. She in turn took a step in closer to her daughter. 

"The second I let your girlfriend and her sister go out that door, they'll have the DEO and NCPD swat storm the place. Do you really think I'm that naive?"

"Agent Danvers and I came alone. Have your over-sized cyborg minion scan the premises with his security vision if you doubt my word."

Lillian kept a steady stare at Lena before slightly smirking while breaking eye contact with her daughter to look up at Cyborg Superman. She gave him a nod and watched on as he brought his hand up to his computerized face, seemingly starting up some sort of program in his internal computer frame. While Cyborg Superman was scanning the perimeter of the warehouse, Lena finally took a moment to look over at Kara and Alex. Alex's eyes were calm as she gave Lena an ever so slight nod of approval. But when her green eyes met blue, they were met with a mix of shock and disbelief. Lena gave Kara a pleading look, willing her to understand. But before she could communicate anything further with her gaze, Cyborg Superman interrupted the silence with his low, raspy voice. 

"She's right. The perimeter and surrounding areas outside it are clear. There's no one else here." 

 

"Fine." Lillian replied as she turned around to face Kara and Alex. "You two are free to go. Between Supergirl's lack of powers and how far away this warehouse is from any form of civilization, we'll be long gone by the time the DEO is able to retrieve you and come with backup."

Lillian reached into her utility vest pocket and pulled out a small remote. After pressing a button, there was a beep and a loud click. The side door of the warehouse swung open. Kara tried to step over to Lena but was stopped by Lillian's guard.

"Lena, no. I'm not leaving without you." 

Lena couldn't look at Kara. Her eyes stayed fixed on the ground as she spoke.

"Get out of here, Supergirl. National City needs it's Super. It can do without its Luthor." 

"Lena! You can't-"

Before Kara could finish, Alex had grabbed her by the forearm and hurried her out of the warehouse. Once they were out, the heavy, reinforced door slammed shut behind them. Kara ran up to it, beating her fist against it. But with her powers only at fifty-percent, she couldn't even make a dent in it. She angrily whirled around to face Alex. 

"What the hell Alex? We can't just leave her in there with Lillian. National City does need its Luthor. I...need my Luthor. How could you two have shown up here without any backup?"

"First of all, let's take it down a notch there, Supergirl." Alex responded to the distraught Super, garnering an angry glare from her. "Second of all...do you really think I, Alex Danvers, resident bad-ass and genius DEO agent would show up without backup?"

"But Henshaw said- there's no-" Kara stopped as she saw the satisfied smirk growing on Alex's face. Then she heard a familiar voice come over Alex's comms...

"Danvers, are you and lil' Danvers safely outside the compound?"

Alex raised her hand up to her earpiece to respond. 

"Copy that, Sawyer. Keep the units hidden as planned and make sure Kara's solar bed is powered up and ready to go."

"Roger that. See you in a few."

Kara looked at her sister in disbelief...and maybe a bit of relief. But then the anger took over again. 

"All this time? Maggie and her team have been here all this time? You let me think she was at the DEO talking you and Lena through the mission when at any time they could have some in and rescued us all?

"Trust me, Kara, I would have told you, but we had to keep up the front. Lena especially had to keep up the front."

"Lena? What front? Alex? What does Lena have to do with this?" 

Kara's face went from angry to concerned at the mention of Lena. She turned to look helplessly at the closed door in front of her. 

"Everything. She has everything to do with this." Alex replied. 

Kara placed her palm against the cool metal of the reinforced door, searching somehow for the answers to questions she couldn't ask the woman on the other side. The woman who was braver...stronger...and more courageous than anyone she'd known for risking her life to take on someone as powerful and dangerous as Lillian. The woman who was a superhero in her own right. The woman who was...Lena Luthor. Thinking of Lena's strength and bravery gave Kara a sudden sense of her own strength and bravery. And with that surge of conviction, Kara's back straightened. She removed her hand from the door and turned around to face Alex. A look of relief spread across her sister's face as she recognized that Kara's determination had returned. She had the motivation and the conviction...now she just needed the superpowers. Because once they got the signal from Lena, they were going to have to act fast to get her out of there and away from Lillian. 

They walked away from the warehouse side by side for a few minutes before Kara stopped, causing Alex to stop a few feet ahead and turn to look at her sister. 

"Don't think I'm letting you off the hook for keeping me out of the loop on this. It's going to take mountains...no...galaxies of pot-stickers to make up for it. Just so you know."

Alex couldn't help but smile.

"Of course. Deal. Galaxy worth of pot-stickers. Now come on. Let's get you recharged so you're ready to go save your girl when we get the signal." 

Alex slung her arm over Kara's shoulders as she walked back up beside her, and the two sisters headed for the cloaked area where Maggie and plenty of backup awaited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking there will only be a few more chapters left of this story before it comes to a conclusion. So let me know if there's anything you'd like to see happen or a scene you'd like to see play out and I'll see what I can do. :)


	37. The Science of Signals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a short update for everyone before we finally get to see a Supercorp reunion and rescue. :) 
> 
> In this chapter... Kara finds out that the team's rescue plans aren't quite as ideal as she'd like them to be...

As they approached a clearing about a mile or so into the woods from the compound where they'd just had the showdown with Lillian, Alex suddenly came to a stop. 

"I really hope you know where we are, considering getting lost in the middle of the woods while Lena is at the mercy of Lillian is really not a great rescue plan." Kara stated, annoyed as she too stopped and looked around at their surroundings. 

Alex whirled around to face Kara with a snarky grin on her face.

"Surely you have more faith in me than that. Have I ever led you astray...in the forest before?" 

"I mean, if we're getting technical here, there was that one time when Jeremiah thought it was a good idea to take two teenage girls camping. One having only been on Earth for a year, with no clue what camping even was, not to mention that-"

"Okay, that was one time. One. And you were the one that just had to go investigate some far away animal howl so I hardly think-"

"Danvers." Maggie interrupted over Alex's comms. "Did you really get you and your new to Earth sister lost in the forest?"

"No!"

"Yes!"

Kara and Alex's response came out at the same time, garnering a chuckle from the detective. 

"Remind me to never let you take me camping in the future, Danvers." 

"Very funny, Sawyer. Can you just...do the whole materializing thing so we can get down to business."

"I'll have you know," came Winn's voice over the comms, "That it's way more complicated that materializing. The schematics alone call for-"

"Schott! The materializing magic. Now." Alex demanded impatiently. 

"Nobody appreciates the science behind the tech." Winn grumbled. "Except maybe Lena. Now there's a woman who appreciates the science behind the tech. If she-"

"Winn!" Kara yelled out. 

"Alright, alright." Winn replied softy.

After hearing a few more strokes of a keyboard, Kara and Alex heard a series of continuous beeps before there was silence for a few seconds. Then suddenly a white cargo van materialized before them followed by several NCPD swat trucks and DEO vehicles. 

"Hurry up." Alex said to Kara as she marched towards the white cargo van. "We need to get inside and get the cloaking shields back up before anyone inside Lillian's compound figures out there really is a team here ready to take them out."

Kara quickly followed Alex over to the van as the door opened and Maggie hopped out. The detective gave her girlfriend a quick hug before letting Alex go and smiling at her and Kara. 

"Good to see lil' Luthor kept her promise of making sure nothing would happen to the Danvers sisters. Remind me to buy her a round of drinks next time we're out at the alien bar." 

"Unbelievable." Kara let out in a huff and she passed Alex and Maggie and stepped into the van. She turned around to address the detective. "Even you knew that Lena was some sort of kung fu ninja badass? Why am I always the last to find these things out?" 

Maggie let out a chuckle as Alex shrugged before getting into the van after Kara. Once everyone was in the van, Winn typed away once more at his laptop and with a few more beeps, the entourage of backup was cloaked again. Winn turned around to face Kara with a satisfied grin on his face. 

"Tell me that's not cool. And here you thought there wouldn't be backup." 

As Winn stood, Kara stepped over to him and gave him a grateful hug.

"Thank you." Kara said after breaking the hug. 

Kara turned to see J'onn stepping out from the back of the van. 

"Supergirl. Good to see you. Now you've got a date with your UV bed. It's here in the back. Let's get you recharged so we can properly prepare for our next move."

"What? No! I don't have time to be lying around in a UV bed while Lillian could be doing something...terrible to Lena. We have to go in. We have to go in now!" Kara turned to Alex with desperation in her eyes. "Alex, tell them."

"Kara, we can't go in right now. We have to wait. And you have to recharge. We need you at one hundred percent power. Lena...will need you at one hundred percent power should anything...not planned happen."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Kara exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air dramatically in frustration. "Lena needs me...she needs us now! The longer she's in there with her mother, the greater the chance that she...doesn't make it out at all."

Alex made her way over to her sister, grabbing her arm in hopes of being a calming gesture to the superhero. 

"Kara, listen."

The superhero wouldn't look at her sister. Instead her worried eyes fell to the ground. 

"Hey, look at me." Alex persisted, gently placing her hand under Kara's chin and bringing her eyes up to meet her own. "Lena's going to be okay. But she needs us...especially you to trust in her...that she can do this. Right now we have to wait. When we get the signal from her, then we'll move in. You told her you trusted in her. Now I'm asking you to do the same for us. We've got this. We will have this. I just need you to go recharge so when it's time...you're ready. Okay?"

Alex knew she was one of the few who could calm and center her sister. And once again she was able to bring the superhero down from her emotional state. Kara gave her sister a slight nod of understanding. Leaning into the DEO agent, she wrapped her arms around Alex and pulled her into a hug. Alex brought her arms around Kara and squeezed her superhero sister tight. She understood where Kara was coming from. If it were Maggie in that compound needing to be rescued, she'd most likely be an emotional wreck too. But she knew that if Kara was there with her...was there to help talk her down and get her thinking more strategically than emotionally, everything would be okay. Just like now...when it was time, they would go in after Lena. And everything would be okay. Still hugging Kara, Alex looked over at Maggie. The detective seemed to know what she was thinking as her face softened at the sight of the emotions playing across Alex's face. 

Kara finally broke the hug, letting out a sigh as she stepped away from her sister towards J'onn. But something stopped her as she turned back around to face Alex, Maggie, and Winn.

"What's the signal?" Kara asked, looking curiously from Maggie to Alex and then locking her gaze on Winn.

"Signal?" Winn averted Kara's gaze and looked over at Alex. "What signal are you speaking of?"

"We have to wait for a signal from Lena before we can go in, correct? What is the signal?" Kara asked calmly.

"Well you see...it's a signal from Lena and we have to just wait and-"

"Winn." Kara interrupted, still calm. 

"It's just a signal, you know. Nothing special. And I'll be here waiting for it while you're off...recharging. And once the signal comes in, we'll-"

"Winslow Schott Jr." Kara stated, steel in her voice. 

Winn's head shot back to meet Kara's glaring gaze. He took in a nervous breath then let it out shakily. 

"The signal is...the deactivation of Cyborg Superman's mainframe." Winn responded quietly. "Lena has to plant a virus she and I designed back at the DEO when...when we were all trying to figure out how to rescue you. She's going to plant the virus which will essentially shut him down. Once I get the signal that the virus has taken effect, that's you're cue to go in there and get her."

Kara took a few long strides back into the middle of the van, looking around at Alex, Maggie, and Winn. 

"So you're telling me that Lena has to find a way to get close enough to that violent supercomputer...man...thing in order to plant a virus into him."

"Uhhhhhh...yes?" Winn responded hesitantly.

"Oh, well thank goodness. And here I thought it was going to be something completely complicated and dangerous for her." Kara replied sarcastically before whirling around and storming off to the back of the van. 

Winn looked over at Alex and Maggie with a grimace on his face. 

"Well that went better than expected." Maggie stated slyly. 

"Just be thankful she can't power up her laser vision at the moment." Alex responded. She nodded over at Winn's workstation. "You ready to receive Lena's signal?"

Winn nodded and scurried back over to his laptop, sitting down to focus on the task at hand. 

"Let's just hope Lena is ready too." Maggie said, wrapping her arm around Alex's waist. 

Alex leaned into the detective as she spoke.

"After what I just witnessed Lena do in that compound. I'm beyond confident that she's more than ready. Now we'll just have to wait and see." 

And that's all they could do for now...just wait and see...wait...for signal that Lena had indeed succeeded with her mission, and they could finally put an end to Lillian Luthor once and for all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come on, Lena...you can do it. I have faith in you. ;)


	38. To Disable a Cyborg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now it's up to Lena to stop her mother and take down a cyborg...all in a day's work for a Luthor

Lena followed Lillian, with Cyborg Superman closely behind her, through the darkened hallways of the compound. It was dreary and cold, reminding Lena of some kind of dungeon King Uther would have thrown Morgana Pendragon in after another attempt to take over the throne. Lena smiled slightly as they descended down another ominous feeling hallway. Morgana had always been a fictional character she could relate to. She too had found herself misunderstood as a villain. Granted, that was because she was a Luthor and not because she wanted to take over Lex's evil empire plans, much to her mother's chagrin. But still, she knew how it felt to be misconceived. And she definitely knew what it felt like to be betrayed by family. Where she differed from Morgana though was revenge. She had never wanted revenge against Lillian or Lex. Even if the notion of revenge had crept up on her...even a tiny bit, through her meditations and mindfulness she had learned during her stay in China, she had always been able to center herself and focus on what was more important. To her, revenge would mean seeing Lillian locked up for good next to her brother...locked away where they could never hurt anyone, human or alien again. 

Lena's Morgana musings were brought to a halt as Lillian stopped in front of large, roll-up style door. After entering a code into the nearby keypad and then placing her index finger on the fingerprint scanner, there was a loud buzz followed by a click. Lillian squatted down and grabbed a handle, pulling the door up until it was completely opened. She proceeded to walk inside, expecting Lena to follow. When Lena hesitated, she felt a rough shove to her shoulder from behind from Cyborg Superman, prompting her to step inside the large room. 

As Lena looked around, taking in her surroundings, Lillian walked over to a light switch, flipping it. An eerie red light was instantly cast throughout the large warehouse looking space. 

"Overkill much, mother? No need for the red lights now. Unless you've got another Kryptonian hiding around somewhere perhaps?" 

Lillian turned around to face her daughter, a sly smirk on her face. 

"Do you really think I believed for one second that Supergirl and Agent Danvers wouldn't try coming back for you at some point? Granted, we'll be long gone before they even have a chance to rescue you. But it's always wise to have...proper precautions in place just in case." 

Several of Lillian's men came marching in from a side door and circled around Lena. But when the soldiers cocked their large, peculiar looking guns, Lena watched in horror as the clear tubes fastened to the tops of the guns began to glow a bright green. A green that looked like...

"Kryptonite." Lena muttered, more to herself than anyone else. But Lillian heard her. 

"Now you're catching on, dear daughter. And here I never pegged you as the slow type. Not my little chess-master genius." Lillian retorted, letting out a sarcastic chuckle. 

Lena ignored her mother's jab at her intelligence. She wasn't in the mood to trade barbs with Lillian. Not when the stakes had been raised in regards to the plan she, Alex, Maggie, and Winn had concocted to get them all out of this situation...safely. She had to quickly reassess that situation and figure out how she was going to account for the Kryptonite-wielding guns. As she mulled over her options, Lena watched as a few more men entered the room pushing the large laser in. As they walked over to one of the garage-looking warehouse doors, one of the men pulled it up, revealing a cargo van waiting outside. 

"Load it up. And be quick about it." Lillian ordered, watching as her men starting loading the laser into the van. 

"This wasn't a part of the deal, mother." Lena started, crossing her arms across her chest. "I'm not going anywhere with you. I said I'd show you how to power it up and override the fail safe...here. Not some other God-forsaken lair of Lex's or wherever else you plan on going."

Lillian didn't seem deterred by Lena's defiance. She too crossed her arms over her chest as she stepped in closer to come face to face with her daughter. 

"Come now, Lena. You couldn't possibly think I'd wait around here, with Supergirl on the loose and most probably regenerating her powers as we speak. You will come with me and once we arrive at our destination you will power up the laser and disable the fail-safe. It's not up for debate. Now...get into the van or I'll be forced to...persuade you to do so."

Lillian looked over Lena's shoulder and gave a slight nod to Cyborg Superman. He stepped in closer to Lena, placing his heavy metal hand atop her shoulder. Lena gave her mother one of her signature smirks, her emerald eyes lighting up in defiance. 

"Come now, mother" Lena retorted. "You couldn't possibly think I'd agree to go anywhere with you and your two-bit hunk of junk cyborg lackey."

Cyborg Superman let out a growl as he tightened his grip on Lena's shoulder, prompting the smirk on Lena's lips to widen. 

"Maybe you didn't quite understand me the first time." Lillian started, stepping in closer to Lena. "You will get in that van. And I'd rather not use force on my own daughter."

That prompted an amused, short laugh out of Lena. 

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?" Lena responded, keeping her arms tightly crossed at her chest. She kept her eyes locked on Lillian as she slowly slid her right hand slightly under the sleeve of her shirt, wrapping her fingers around something attached underneath her wrist.

"I will admit. I have used...forceful tactics in the past. But that's just what it is, darling...the past. Why don't we let bygones be bygones, and for once in your life, obey your mother. Get in the van."

Lena's straightened her stance, making Cyborg Superman place his other hand on her other shoulder. Little did he know, however, that's exactly the move Lena wanted him to make. 

"No." Lena stated firmly, prompting a scowl from her mother. 

"Very well. You leave me no choice. Just remember, I gave you the option of non-violence." 

"Oh I'll remember, mother. Just like you're going to remember that I'm not only the strongest Luthor...but the smartest one as well."

Before Lillian had a chance to react to Lena's overtly non-humble statement, Lena threw her elbow forcefully back, landing it directly to Cyborg Superman's nose. And while it didn't exactly cause him any amount of pain, the move did make him react in a knee-jerk response by throwing his arms back and off of Lena's shoulders in surprise. Lena wasted no time and seized the millisecond she had to take advantage of the cyborg's surprise. With a quick flick of her wrist and equally quick and nimble movement of her fingers, she grasped the small, flat circular object she'd plucked from the underside of her wrist earlier and stuck it to the machine side of Cyborg Superman's head, pressing into it as it stuck, causing it to light up. 

Before the cyborg knew what had hit him, his, whole body suddenly starting glitching out, like he was having some sort of seizure. 

"What have you done?" Lillian cried out, attempting to approach the glitching cyborg. 

Approaching Cyborg Superman proved to be a mistake on Lillian's part, however. The half man, half machine reached out and grabbed her by the throat. Lillian struggled and tried to fight him off by pounding on his arm, to no avail. But before he could finish strangling the elder Luthor, after one last violent seizure glitch, the cyborg froze, shutting down altogether, dropping Lillian onto the hard, concrete floor. Lena watched as her mother's head hit the concrete, knocking her unconscious. 

Lena didn't have time to relish the sight of her mother falling from grace, so to speak...quite literally. Now she had a new and relatively speaking, quite urgent matter to deal with. Upon Cyborg Superman shutting down completely, that meant the signal had been sent to Winn. And that meant...Kara would most likely come crashing through the roof at any minute. Because as much as she knew Alex was probably trying to persuade her sister to stay and let she and Maggie's teams handle it, Lena knew Kara too well. Nothing was going to hold her back from coming to Lena's rescue. And that's what Lena was afraid of. Because as Lillian's Kryptonite-armed men circled around her, closing in, she knew she had to think fast. Kara's life now depended on it.


	39. Of Bridal Carries, Things, and Whatever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lena and Kara are reunited amidst Kryptonite and Lillian goons.

Winn was occupying the time while waiting for Lena's signal by trying to figure out what his next move should be on the interactive chess game Lena had downloaded onto his laptop while they had been coming up with the program to deactivate Cyborg Superman. He frowned in frustration, changing his mind several times before opting for a move with one of his pawns. A sudden blaring beeping sound coming from the DEO computer behind his laptop made him jump from his chair. Alex and Maggie were instantly behind him as he tapped a few keys on the keyboard.

"What is it?" Alex asked, urgency in her voice. "Is that what we've been waiting for? Did she do it? Did Lena deactivate it?"

Winn concentrated on the computer screen as the loud beeping continued. Maggie gave Alex's arm a comforting rub as J'onn joined the two of them watching Winn work. Alex was about to continue when Kara came bursting through the closed door behind them. 

"Is it her?" Kara demanded more than asked. "Tell me it's her, Winn. Because if it is, I've got to get to her...now."

Winn could feel all of the intense eyes on his back. But he wanted to make sure his assessment of the signal was accurate before sending everyone off into a potentially deadly situation. But even after taking a few moments to check and double check, he knew what the continuous beeping meant. It meant-

"Agent Schott." J'onn stated calmly from behind him. 

Winn slowly turned around to meet the anticipatory gazes that had been boring impatient holes into his back. 

"Yes. It's Lena. And that's the signal that Cyborg Superman has been disabled. But..." Winn paused but then quickly continued as those impatient gazes began turning into annoyance. "But there's something off..."

"Define off, Schott." Alex said quickly sensing that Kara was itching to bust her way out of the van and get to Lena no matter what could be awaiting her in Lillian's compound. 

"The signal is still going off." Winn replied.

"We all have ears, Winn. We hear it. You said when we hear the signal, it's safe to go in there and get Lena. So what's the problem?" Alex responded, her impatience growing greater by the second. 

"The problem is that the signal hasn't gone off yet." Winn stated, glancing back over his shoulder at the beeping computer. 

Kara hadn't realized she'd been furiously pacing around in the small confines of the van until she stopped to take a step closer to Winn.

"I don't care about the signal stopping. I'm done waiting. I've regained enough of my powers back to go in there and get her, and I'm not waiting around for some signal stop. Not when Lena could be in trouble."

Before anyone could protest, Kara used her super-speed to rush out of the van and fly away. 

"Damn it, Kara." Alex said as she ran to the van door an watched Kara fly toward Lillian's compound. 

She quickly turned back around to face Winn, concern etched across her face. 

"What does it mean if the signal hasn't gone off?" 

Winn let out a sigh as the computer continued its incessant beeping behind him. 

"It's a fail-safe that Lena and I programmed into the device that disabled Cyborg Superman's mainframe."

"I don't speak tech geek, Schott. Just tell me what the hell it means." Alex retorted, getting so impatient that Maggie had to clamp onto her forearm to try to calm her. 

"It means that...Lena hasn't been able to secure the perimeter yet. She wanted to make sure there was a way to tell us through the signal if it was okay for Supergirl to go in after disabling Cyborg Superman. You know...in case Lillian has any last minute surprises up her sleeve that could..."

"That could potentially hurt Kara?" Alex finished. 

Winn gave Alex a slight nod in response before turning back to his computer. Alex turned to Maggie and J'onn, both seeming to know what she was thinking by the look of determination in her eyes. 

"I have to go after them. If anything were to happen..."

"We." Maggie interrupted, taking Alex's hands in hers. "We have to go after them. I've got your back, Danvers. Always. Let me just call up my backup and we'll head out." 

"Thank you." Alex whispered, giving Maggie's hands an appreciative squeeze.

"Awwwwww..." Winn cooed as he turned around to see Alex and Maggie having a moment. "You two are my favorite couple."

"Better not let Kara hear you say that." Maggie responded through a chuckle.

"Forget Kara. Never let Lena hear you say that." Alex added, shooting Winn a serious look. 

"If you three are done here," J'onn interrupted. "We have more pressing matters to tend to."

Alex and Maggie rushed after J'onn as he exited the van. He stopped abruptly, causing both women to nearly crash into his back. 

"I suggest you two hold on tight." J'onn said matter-of-factly.

Maggie gave Alex a puzzled look, causing her to shrug as she stepped to J'onn's right side and wrapped her arm around his back. Maggie hesitated for a moment, but then caught on as she stepped to J'onn's left side and slid her arm around his back, holding onto Alex's steadied arm. Before anyone could say anything more, J'onn took off into the sky as both Alex and Maggie held on for dear life. 

 

*********************************************************************************************

Lena knew she probably had only a few seconds to spare, even though Winn had probably already informed Kara of her fail-safe within the signal that had sent after she'd disabled Cyborg Superman. She'd done that anticipating that her mother would probably have a fail-safe of her own to play even without the help of her cyborg minion. And the glowing green from the guns pointed at her affirmed she'd been correct. She also knew Kara and that if she'd regained even a fraction of her powers back, she'd come for Lena...no matter what might be waiting for her inside the compound. And while she loved that about her Kryptonian heroine, if ever there was a moment she wished she was wrong...it was now. 

But of course, Lena wasn't usually wrong. And that notion proved true once again as a speeding whirl of blue and red came crashing through the roof of the compound. Lucky for Lena though, that roof crashing Kryptonian gave Lillian's men the perfect distraction, causing them to turn, guns now aimed at whomever had just caused the chaos of falling cement and steel around them. One of the men had to quickly back-peddle his feet to miss the huge piece of concrete falling from the roof. Unfortunately for him, he tripped over his own feet and fell backward, landing on his rear end as his gun fell from his hand and skidded across the floor. 

Before the guy could even grasp what had happened, Lena was already sprinting towards him. She did a flying leap over him and and then did a sliding into home base slide, grabbed the gun, and was then instantly on her feet. 

"Kara, get down! It's Kryptonite!" Lena yelled, garnering the attention and gun aims of Lillian's men. 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kara quickly drop to down, her stomach against the cold concrete floor. Lena pulled the trigger of her gun, and a green laser blast hit the gun of the first guy, destroying it. Lena made a run for it, heading towards Kara, still taking cover on the floor as she'd instructed. This time when she pulled the trigger, she held it, emitting a steady streaming laser of Kryptonite and aiming it along the line of men pointing their Kryptonite guns at her. She jumped over Kara, keeping the laser steady and her aim dead on, wiping out the guns almost instantaneously before the men even knew what was going on. Just as she destroyed the last Kryptonite gun, J'onn came flying down through the hole Kara had made, carrying Alex and Maggie in his arms. A slightly out of breath Lena took a moment to steady her breathing before smirking at Alex.

"Of course you'd wait until the hard part is over to come to the rescue, huh, Agent Danvers?" 

She tossed the lone remaining Kryptonite gun over to Alex, who rolled her eyes at Lena before her curiosity kicked in and she started examining the gun. Lena made her way over to Kara, who was too busy brushing concrete dust off of her suit to notice her approaching. It took Lena clearing her throat before Kara's eyes looked up to meet the warm green eyes and shy smile of her girlfriend. 

"Hey." Kara said, her voice soft as she reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of Lena's ponytail behind her ear. 

"Hey." Lena responded, widening her smile ever so slightly. 

"So you've saved my life twice in the same day."

"Seems like an accurate assessment." Lena retorted, sounding as nonchalant as she could.

"Can we talk about the whole...you're some secret ninja karate badass thing though?" 

"We can." Lena responded, stepping in closer to Kara. "But first, I'd like to do something else." 

Lena saw Kara gulp nervously and couldn't help but grin at how cute a flustered Kara looked. She'd never get tired of it either. Lena was just about to close the shortening gap between their lips when Kara suddenly raised her arm and caught a fist aiming to connect with her face. She turned her head, seeing one of Lillian's men was the cause of the almost-kiss intrusion. 

"Really?" Kara stated, sarcasm and annoyance in her voice. 

Kara let go of the man's fist as she and Lena turned to see that Lillian's men had regrouped. And although they were no longer armed, they were clearly not looking to give up the fight. 

"Oh this is gonna be fun." Alex said as she stepped up beside Kara, followed by Maggie and J'onn...

 

*****************************************************************************************

Kara landed the final punch of the fight, sending the last Lillian goon to the floor, knocked out. It hadn't been much of a fight. The men hadn't stood an ounce of a chance against a Kryptonian, a green Martian, a bad-ass DEO agent, an equally bad-ass NCPD detective, and a CEO turned queen of the bad-asses. Maggie called in her awaiting swat teams as the team of bad-asses gathered together in the middle of the room. Lena watched as Lillian, now awake but seemingly out of it from the bump on her head, was hauled out of the warehouse. She felt Kara place a steady hand at the small of her back, offering her the strength and comfort she needed. Kara leaned in to Lena's ear.

"You okay?"

Lena nodded, finally looking away from Lillian and up into Kara's reassuring eyes. She was about to say something to Kara when Maggie's cell phone rang loudly, echoing off the bare concrete walls. 

"Sawyer." Maggie answered. Before responding to the caller, she looked over at Kara and Lena, concern on her face. "Alright, I'll call you back when we figure out how to handle it." 

"Maggie, what's wrong?" Kara asked, hoping whatever it was, it didn't mean any more kryptonite or fist-fighting. She'd had enough for the day. 

"That was Winn. We have a bit of a problem...a press problem." Maggie stated, steadying her eyes on Kara's. 

"Press?" Lena questioned. "How in the world would anyone from the press get wind of where we are?"

"Ms. Grant." Kara responded with a sigh.

"Seriously?" Alex asked, looking over at Maggie. 

Maggie gave Alex a slight nod.

"She's here with James, Snapper Carr, and several camera-women, according to Winn. She wants the scoop on Supergirl saving Lena and defeating the evils of Cadmus...or whatever headline she's envisioning, according to Winn." Maggie murmured, tucking her hands into her jean pockets. "What do you want to do?"

Kara looked over at Lena with an apologetic look. 

"We can just sneak out the back...if there's a back to this place." Kara said nervously looking around the warehouse.

"No." Lena stated, causing everyone to look over at her. "They need to see their hero come out on top, Kara. So let's give them what they want."

"But Lena, you're the hero, not me. I can't take credit for the things you've done here today...what you've done for me. It wouldn't be right." 

"We could stand here and argue over who's going to be the hero of the day or you could just get your Kryptonian ass over here and swoop me up in that signature Super bridal style rescue carry you and your cousin have trademarked." 

"I...that's...we didn't trademark that." Kara stuttered as she felt her cheeks grow warm. 

"Well maybe you should." Lena replied, giving Kara a flirty wink.

"Oh my god, I think I'm going to be sick." Alex groaned from behind Kara and Lena. 

"Too much sugar there for ya, Danvers?" Maggie said through a small laugh. 

"Ugh...just pick the woman up in your bridal carry...thing...whatever and...go do your interview." Alex said as she grabbed Maggie's hand and turned to walk out of the warehouse. 

Kara shyly stepped up to Lena, her cheeks blushing bright now. 

"Ummm...hey." Kara whispered, her eyes looking down at her feet.

"Hey, Supergirl. I'm up here." 

Lena placed her fingers under Kara's chin and tilted her head up so she could look into those bright blue eyes she'd grown to love so much. 

"Are you sure...this is okay? Kara asked, still hesitant to take the credit for Lena's heroics. 

"Of course I'm sure. Plus...I'll deny any stories that may surface hinting that I, Lena Luthor, could be anything more than a successful CEO. Now...if you wouldn't mind...I'm ready for my bridal carry thing whatever." 

Kara couldn't help but laugh at Lena poking fun at Alex while raising her arms up, readying herself to be lifted. And with a quick swoosh of her arms, she did just that.

 

************************************************************************************

When Cat saw Supergirl fly out of the warehouse carrying Lena, a huge smile spread across her lips. Of course, this was going to be great for CatCo and a huge headline scoop that people would be talking about for months to come. But that wasn't the only reason why she was smiling. She was truly happy for Kara and Lena. For two such strong, powerful women to find love and support with each other...now that was definitely something to smile about. 

"Make sure you're getting this...from every angle possible." Cat instructed to James and her several camera-women she'd brought with her. 

Cat was about to approach Kara and Lena as Kara landed and released Lena, but she suddenly came to a stop a few feet away, seeing that Kara and Lena didn't seem to notice the cameras around them...or anyone else for that matter. So she decided to wait and let the two of them have their moment. 

Lena kept her arms wrapped around Kara's neck even after she had put her down, smiling contentedly up at the heroine that had "carried her to safety." 

"You sure you're okay with this?" Kara whispered so only Lena could hear her. 

"I am. Are you?" Lena asked, her lips inching closer to Kara's.

"I'm definitely okay with it." Kara responded confidently, not a stutter or fluster to be found in her voice this time. 

"Then what are you waiting for, Supergirl. Kiss me"

Kara didn't hesitate a second longer and closed the gap between their lips. Cameras clicked, lights flashed, and there may have been a few cheers here and there. But neither Luthor nor Super noticed. Nor did they notice the celebratory fist pump Cat Grant...Queen of all Media was currently doing. Lena broke the kiss, not wanting to give their audience too much of a show. 

"There'll be plenty of that later, I promise. Go give Cat that exclusive, Supergirl." 

Lena placed a long, loving kiss on Kara's forehead before sending the grinning from ear to ear superhero over to Cat and the waiting cameras. She let out a sigh of relief that she felt she'd been holding in every since she first entered her mother's warehouse looking to rescue Kara. She watched in admiration as Kara talked to Cat, not hearing Alex and Maggie approach on either side of her. Maggie's voice broke her out of her current state of Kara adoration.

"So rumor has it the headline will be something like "Supercorp Rises: National City's New Power Couple Finally Comes Out." Maggie stated, air-quoting the headline idea for dramatic effect. "But the real headline everyone will be secretly anticipating is... "Sex With a Super...Just How Super...is it? L-Corp's CEO Dishes on all the Possibilities of..."

"Okay, gross, no. stop." Alex hastily interrupted. "I apologize for my girlfriend's tactless...everything." 

Alex grabbed onto Maggie's arm, dragging her away, but the detective got the last laugh as she looked over her shoulder and wiggled her eyebrows mischievously at Lena while giving her a thumbs up. 

Lena shook her head in amusement, realizing that was going to be her new norm...being teased by people who now cared about her. People she could dare call...family now? It was an unfamiliar and admittedly scary feeling to have...knowing there would be people in her life who genuinely cared about her now. She had Kara to thank for that. Kara...her bubbly blonde and easily flustered superhero...had given Lena her heart and with that came so much more than the used to being alone CEO could have ever expected. And for the first time in...well probably ever, Lena felt happy. She felt loved. And as she walked over to Cat and Kara after being beckoned by Cat to come over and slid her hand into Kara's, feeling the reassuring and loving squeeze from the superhero, Lena finally felt...like she belonged.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Supercorp has (officially) come out...yay! Haha. 
> 
> So I've been wrestling with how to write this chapter for a while now...hence the delay between updates. And I wasn't exactly ready to sit down and write today. But then episode 3x17 happened. I'm still not watching the hell that is Season 3, but I still know what's going on for the most part thanks to Tumblr spoilers and commentary. And I can't even at this point... 
> 
> But I know what they've done to the Supercorp dynamic and how they've propped up the toxicity that is pushing James at Lena and essentially making him all of a sudden trusting of Lena while Kara distrusts her...which makes absolutely no sense other than to continue to try to stop the Supercorp fandom. Not to mention continually propping up Mon-Hell as a changed "hero" when all he's been doing since coming back is pursue Kara and try to justify cheating on his wife. I can't yet still... please don't make me. This is me shutting up now. So anyway, I want no part of that mess, but I thought those of you who are still watching would need some reassuring Supercorp moments to help you through it. So I hope the chapter helped out. The last one will most likely be pure fluff so there's that to look forward to as well. As always, thanks for reading and commenting. <3


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